The World Only The Girls Know: Blue Rose Paradox
by Wrathie Winsre
Summary: A Paradoxical Scenario, one where the most impossible of odds made the most disastrous scenario and crisis for the Capturing God yet! Can he charm his way through it yet again?
1. The Beginning

The World Only the Girls Know: Blue Rose Paradox

**Chapter 1: Teaming Up**

**Author's Note: Characters from the Light Novels and Manga will be included as well**

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

Written by: wrathie

**Author's Notes: A Blue Rose Symbolizes Mystery and The Impossible**

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Thanks to <em>dongaro<em> for the beta-read and editing. Plus, welcome new beta reader for this story. He did a quick check of this chapter after all.**

**Oh, and forgive me for this**

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This is a scenario that Katsuragi Keima, or the **Capturing God** could never have imagined. No, he could probably find a way to imagine this scenario out but there was no way that this was going to end up well.

It is a common belief that Harem-based endings are almost an impossibility; whether in a game or in real life due to the extremely complicated web of relationships, feelings and emotions that intertwined with each other in such a relationship.

And that is not considering the amount of history, time and effort that is 'invested' into the individuals for it to happen. But most importantly, one should take note that it is practically impossible for this scenario to develop as there would have to be major concessions amongst the girls that are in a harem.

It is a possibility, but a very very slim chance; not to mention the amount of passion and feelings the girls would have to have for the boy to be so overwhelming that they could look past each other's jealousy to accept the current situation as the best solution.

That would mean that each and every one of them would have to go through similar, if slightly different sequence of events to be able to relate to one another.

It is of course, yet another slim possibility… with so many maths involved, people normally don't bother.

..

Perhaps it would take a computer thousands and thousands of years to be able to calculate such odds; and that was not even factoring the unknown human factor that caused so many different incidents in human history.

So, Katsuragi Keima could not imagine this possibility from happening at all, not with so many individuals at least, but right now it seemed that this was really happening to him.

One could call this heaven and hell all at the same time, but it certainly seemed like Hell to him as he was cornered by not just one, not two and not three girls, but a whooping twelve of them with all shapes, sizes, hairstyles and temperaments.

Keima found himself lost for words for the first time in a long long time upon meeting this situation.

He had gotten up in the wrong side of bed today, true, but he had no idea his luck was not so bad today to have this kind of situation happen to him.

It did not make sense, there had been hardly anything that foreshadowed this event and even if there had been a few clues, he could not prevent this… in short, he was led by his nose till now.

..

..

He supposed this disaster had its roots when he noticed Haqua sneaking into school in one of their school uniforms in that morning.

It had surprised him, but it was not impossible for her to do that just to find a lead and he dismissed it from his thought processes, there were many other more important things that he had to take note of anyway.

Another important clue that he dismissed was seeing Shinomiya Shiori talking with one of his classmates, Yoshino Asami. It was another surprise but he knew from reputable sources that the two of them knew each other and were friends, albeit distant ones.

It is a distinct possibility, a very unlikely one at that, that they were having a conversation amongst themselves about him… even if it seemed impossible as they were not close, not to mention having no knowledge of each other meeting him as well. However, his suspicions were aroused when the two of them blushed and greeted him when he passed the two of them.

Giving them the benefit of doubt was one of his greatest weakness and mistakes, he should not have taken everything for granted.

..

..

Another hint that he accidentally observed was seeing Kasuga Kusonoki in deep discussion with Kujyo Tsukiyo and Aoyama Mio. The three of them were not friends, and as far as he knew they did not even know about each other's existence and what was even more suspicious about their meeting was the way the three of them ceased their conversation upon noticing him looking a little awkward as they passed; Mio sniffing and looking away, Kusonoki frowning and crossing her arms while Tsukiyo simply hugged her doll tighter as he passed.

Of course he took the chance and jogged back down to the landing where he first spotted them and was sorely disappointed when the girls were gone… they had shifted locations, probably to escape his scrutiny… or perhaps he was just over-thinking.

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Something was happening but he could not figure out what, as the next event that happened literally blew him away as two girls from different levels and walks of life came up to speak to him privately during lunch break.

The two culprits that were responsible were Ikoma Minami and Takahara Ayumi; two girls he was distinctively 'weak' against and he hesitated when they approached him together.

Having Elsi slip away a moment later, Keima could smell a setup a mile away as Elsi stuck to him like glue and there is no reason for her to leave him unattended by himself like this.

..

'Neh, Katsuragi…'

'Katsuragi-Senpai…'

Looking at each other nervously with the barest traces of pink on their cheeks, the two of them leaned closer to him, pressing their hands against their, perhaps flat-chest while their voice slowly trailed off as they spoke to him.

'Ano… Katsuragi-senpai…'

'Ah… Minami-chan… p-please go first.'

'A-ah? Why-why me? A-Ayumi-sempai, please! I… I can't do it like this!'

"B-But! But!'

If this sappy love comedy continued he'd have to throw up, and so he spoke up brusquely, cutting them off from their monologue impatiently. He had no intention of letting himself be sucked into the mood, no matter how hard they tried.

A direct approach is rare, but that did not mean that he was unprepared for them.

'Please, if you have something to say to me… please do it soon. Lunch break is ending…'

Practically willing for Elsi to show herself right now, that thought was wiped from Keima's mind when the two of them nodded to each other, took a deep breath and exclaimed as one.

..

**'I LIKE YOU, KATSURAGI-SENPAI/KATSURAGI!'**

..

He took it better than he imagined as he barely stiffened before sighing, it was unexpected and expected at the same time. But he supposed that this would eventually happen if they regained their memories, if only briefly. And perhaps in some way he was happy it was those two girls out of the others that he knew.

But for the two of them to actually confess at the same time… this is certainly odd.

Ayumi was his type, a girl that he liked and appreciated very much and at the same time, has the necessary characteristics that made him feel attracted to her.

Minami was a girl that he would have no qualms protecting from harm as she was different; perhaps he had a soft spot for juniors who looked up to him as opposed to those in the same grade who were prejudiced towards him.

Either way, he was… happy that they said that to him and he smiled without noticing.

'Thank you, but I'm afraid I can't say that I like the two of you as well. It would be unfair to the two of you and to the others.'

He did not mention what the others meant as he dismissed them with no hesitation whatsoever. But he was surprised both at his resolve as well as the lack of disappointment in both Ayumi and Minami's faces. On the contrary, however, the two girls seemed to be even more excited.

..

'I… I see, it's just like what they said he would do…'

'…H-hai… t-that's… Katsuragi-senpai… is as amazing as I thought he'll be…'

They were mumbling so softly that he could not hear what they were saying, Keima tilted his head in confusion as the girls shook their heads in a hurry.

'N-no, it's nothing! Than-Thank you for your time, Katsuragi!'

'Thank you… ano… really, thank you for your time, Katsuragi-senpai…'

Bowing to them, the two girls beat a hurried retreat when Keima was going to ask them what they meant.

..

'Something is definitely up.'

He had the inkling then, a feeling of foreboding. But if he was powerless to prevent it happening before, it would be a reoccurring theme that is part of his life. Especially so when he spotted Haqua sitting in another class and chatting energetically with a girl that he knew.

Fuse Aoba, the **Mai-hime** had a smile on her face with Haqua and that really jarred him. The mere thought of the coalition of geniuses was enough to spook him sufficiently. Who knew what kind of stunt they would be able to pull if they pooled their knowledge together? Especially with the two's track record of being fond to play tricks on others.

So rattled was he that he failed to notice Yoshino Asami and Kosaka Chihiro speaking energetically with each other.

Yoshino Asami was not a talkative person by nature and she did not mingle well with her classmates much. To see her smiling and chatting with Chihiro was odd, but it was definitely not the oddest thing he has seen today.

All in all, a sense of foreboding was indeed growing and Keima found himself panicking at the possibilities.

No, he was in mortal peril, this he was sure about and he wanted to escape right now…

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But he wouldn't be able to get the chance, as when he was about to escape and take the rest of the day off after lunch, the girl who had failed to save him earlier reappeared with a smile behind him.

'Where are you going, Kami-Onii-sama?'

Placing a hand on his shoulders, Keima shuddered momentarily as Elsi smiled at him and even he could not explain why he was a little apprehensive about his sister. It seemed like he was hiding something, something that she was strangely happy about.. and it made him worried.

As a rule, Elsi was very independent as Keima viewed that it would be better for her, as well as for him, if Elsi's train of thought was only know to her and her only. If he was to expect too much of Elsi, it would surely end up in his disappointment.

It benefited Elsi too as she worked very well if left to her own devices…

But the unwritten rule was that Elsi kept no secrets from Keima, and it has been true up till this moment. Elsi's nature meant that it would be painfully obvious to him if she was hiding anything from him, painfully obvious at that.

That meant that whatever had transpired Elsi to keep a secret from him, it would have to be something substantially important for her.

..

..

'I don't feel so well, Elsi, I think I'm taking the rest of the day off.'

Finding himself tongue tied at the start, Keima rallied and replied swiftly with no hesitation at all after a moment's consideration.

'That's playing Truant, Kami-Onii-sama. You shouldn't do that~ if you're not feeling well, you should go to the infirmary for a rest ,desho?

Keima was too shocked initially to even contemplate what Elsi had just said, had she rebutted him? W-what in the world was going on here?

'You should listen to Elsi-chan, Keima-kun.'

Whirling around, Keima felt his blood run cold when Nakagawa Kanon greeted him with a smile. What was she doing here? She wasn't even in class most of the time and was it alright for her to be calling his name?

'…'

Finding himself unable to reply the two of them, Keima sighed before nodding his head in resignation, he was fighting a losing battle here after all.

'Hehe~~ If you'll like, I could accompany you to the infirmary, Keima-kun.'

Stepping up boldly, Kanon gently clasped his hand and Keima felt like the world was ending soon before his eyes. As he felt stares drill into the back of his head, literally as everyone would be shocked, no, scandalized at Kanon, THE Nakagawa Kanon doing that to the Otamegane.

It was enough to give him a severe migraine thinking about the possibilities but it was just getting started as Kosaka Chihiro gave a protest while running over to the two of them.

'Kanon, that's…!'

Whispering something to her, Chihiro was vindicated when Kanon dropped his hands reluctantly while pouting unhappily at her.

'… Fine, Chihiro-chan… I'll… follow…'

Looking unhappily at Chihiro and to an extent at him as well, Kanon walked off while Keima nursed the growing headache that would no doubt get worse.

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'…'

His instincts were screaming at him to get away from school at all costs, to fly out of the country or at least barricade himself in the room for quite some time.

But reality was harsh and he probably wouldn't get the chance to do that. The girls were popping up in all the 'convenient' places and preventing him from escape out of this nightmare of his.

'… I'm delusional… I'm just scaring himself.'

He tried to reassure himself but it wasn't working as Elsi simply smiled even brighter when she overhead his words.

'What's wrong, Kami-Onii-sama~~'

'Too many things are off, Elsi… are you hiding things from me?'

Deciding on the spot to take the bull by the horns, Keima turned and confronted his most frequent, and some might argue only ally, and was only rewarded with an innocent smile and the slight tilting of her head as an answer.

'Are you, Kami-Onii-sama?'

Answering a question with a question, Keima narrowed his eyes and tried hard to keep his frustration and temper in check.

It was true that Elsi have never lied to him but he had kept things from Elsi as well. He had taken their relationship together for granted and he was paying the price now.

..

..

'Tsk…'

'Kami-Onii-sama, just as you have secrets, I have secrets I want to keep myself too. You won't force me to tell you everything I know, right?'

Pleading him with her innocent eyes, Keima was disgusted at himself and at Elsi for putting him in a predicament like this. He surprisingly found himself judging the pros and cons of the situation, to his horror.

'No, I guess not… I'm sorry.'

Shaking his head, Keima decided that he shouldn't jeopardize their current relationship, even if he was starting to wonder if Elsi had finally grown up and was in a rebellious phase at the moment.

'Thank you, Kami-Onii-sama~~ Shall we go home now?'

With her bag in tow, Elsi waited patiently for him as he hurriedly threw his stuff into his bag, eager and ready to set off home. Once he reaches home, he would be home free and he would have the chance to gather some intelligence about the situation.

The girls were united as one, seemingly anyway, and it would be prudent to proceed with caution.

At least, that was his hopes then.

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That was why and how she found himself staring at those twelve different girls, all gathered around him like bees to honey on the rooftop. Elsi had left her lunch box there and insisted that Keima accompany her to get it.

He should have suspected that it was a trap but again, there was no use crying over spilt milk.

The girls, Takahara Ayumi, Shinomiya Shori, Aoyama Mio, Nakagawa Kanon, Kasuga Kusonoki, Kosaka Chihiro, Tsukiyo Kujyo, Ikoma Minami, Yoshino Asami, Fuse Aoba, Haqua Du Lut Herminimum and of course, Katsuragi Elsi herself, just gathered around him, surrounding him and not letting him escape.

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'Finally…'

'You have been lookin forward to the moment, aren't you, Kasuga-senpai?'

Sniffing unhappily as she turned to snap at Aoyama Mio, Kusonoki cracked her knuckled briefly as she nodded her head.

'Yes, this is a day I've waited very long for. It is time to end this little façade.'

'in that case, would you mind waiting a little bit longer? I have some unfinished business to settle with him as well. When he pays his dues, I will gladly leave him to you.'

Elegantly, or trying to look elegantly, Tsukiyo smiled as she pushed her hair back while appraising Keima carefully.

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'Ano… please don't hurt Katsuragi-senpai…'

Waving her hand in the air to get the older girl's attention, Ikoma Minami blushed when the other girls stared at her.

'Please, let Katsuragi-senpai have a chance to speak too… it's not fair to just blame him for everything…'

'Yeah, that's right! Let him have a chance to speak too!'

Rallying behind Minami was Ayumi, the two girls seemed to have formed a bond together somehow and with the enthusiasm and energy of Ayumi, the both girls defiantly defended Keima while he looked on.

..

'This is not an ending that you expected, or rather one that you dreaded for a long time… is that not right, **Capturing God**.'

Closing one eye, Fuse Aoba appraised Keima with crossed arms. It seems that the geniuses had teamed together as Haqua was beside her as well.

'What do you mean, Aoba? Did he know this would happen after all? He's a two-timing idiot after all, it's his just desserts.'

Smiling deviously with a hint of a blush on her face, Haqua waved her scythe around dangerously, causing some of the girls to back away from the devil in front of them.

'Oh, I'm sure he did not mean to build a harem like this… of course, with such diversity… I have to wonder about that as well.'

Looking pointedly at Haqua and her own chest before turning to scrutinize Kusonoki, the **Mai-Hime** simply raised one hand to keep Kusonoki from lashing out as she explained.

'Either way, we have you now, Katsuragi-san. It would be prudent for you to not resist and to quietly accept your fate. That fate that we have determined for you together as one.'

Watching Aoba smile in triumph at him, Keima shuddered as he could imagine different scenarios that could happen with her at the helm, plotting his demise.

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'…'

Looking to the side, he noticed that there were a few girls who were not actively joining into the discussion. Yoshino Asami and Shinomiya Shiori were the two of them and they looked on nervously until they noticed him looking at them and they immediately recoiled somewhat in fear(?).

'…K-Katsuragi-san…'

'Katsuragi-kun…'

Twitching nervously, the two girls clung to each other for support, holding each other's hands, unable to say a word until Chihiro and Kanon supported them by placing their hands on their shoulders to reassure the two of them.

'… Please, don't ignore us too… we… we hope that you'll listen to us… too…'

'Hai, Katsuragi-kun… we are tired of always waiting and hoping… we want answers too…'

Nodding their heads resolutely, the two girls narrowed their eyes and Keima felt even more bowled over now than ever.

..

'Kami-Nii-sama~ All of them wanted to talk to you, so I helped them a little!'

'I think it's more than just a little, Elsi!'

Flying into a rage all of a sudden, Keima lunged at Elsi but was stopped from 'punishing' her by the other girls, namely Kanon and Chihiro who grabbed him and held him back.

'Oi, Katsuragi! You should be happy we didn't punish you for what you did to us!'

'K-Keima-kun! It's not Elsi's fault, we begged her to help us!'

Hanging on to him, the two girls were 'reinforced' by the others, who formed a human wall between Keima and Elsi while shaking their heads disapprovingly at him; some of them a little shocked at his behavior.

..

'Pardon me for being a little frustrated at the situation.'

Upon release, Keima paced in a circle for a while before turning back to snap at the gaggle of girls.

'But what, do all of you wish of me? Do you seek vengeance for what I did to you? Do you seek me to atone for my sins?

Do you wish to see me apologize and seek forgiveness? Please, state your wishes clearly, while I still have the sanity and patience to deal with all of you.'

At his wits ends, as **Gods** has their own limits as well, Keima found himself reliving a large portion of his games in real life, a plane that he normally does not wish to be involved with, and he was right to be extremely upset.

Reality is robbing him of his time, sanity, rationality and faith with probability all at the same time. Does he even dare think about calculating the odds required for this scenario happening in the first place?

The girls obviously remembered everything that has happened between them and him, that part is obvious. What is not obvious is what they wished from him.

They said something about an agreement between all the girls and that agreement worried him, no scared him as it would not be good for him.

Reality had brought nothing beneficial for him and it certainly was not going to start now!

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'Alright.'

Nodding her head, the leader of the group, apparently Fuse Aoba, crossed her arms and spoke for all the girls present.

'Katsuragi-san, all of us have similar, if different experiences with you. All of us are in agreement with that matter… what has past is the past and we find it unproductive to argue about the past, comparing each other's experience with each other… That is the sentiment that we have all agree on.'

Watching Aoba turn a little red, showing that she was actually quite embarrassed by what she was saying, Keima merely nodded and simply waited for her continue.

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'Unfortunately, all of us share the same conflicting, mutual and unreasonable feelings of… of a certain feeling towards you!'

Unable to bring herself to say it outright, Fuse Aoba turned around for assistance and found none, almost all of the girls looking away from her, red flushing their faces.

'… Tsk, to repeat myself again. All of us share the same feelings for you, Katsuragi-san. And due to those same feelings, all of us have, after a long and heated discussion…'

Aoba looked around her again and after seeing all of them nodding back, some of the girls with some degree of hesitation, she continued once more.

'All of us come to a concession. That… is not fair to have each individual experience, feelings and of course, desire be compared and weighed against each another.

Although unhappy about this decision, all of us ultimately agree too that it would be a waste of effort, resources and time… not to mention being extremely emotional draining, for all of us to argue and compete with each other for our one shared wish.'

Keeping up her poker face as much she could, Fuse Aoba cleared her throat and pointed a finger to Keima firmly.

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'Thus, our decision would be for you, Katsuragi Keima, to atone for your mistakes, sins and of course, the emotional trauma that you placed us through, by spending time with us to make up for the time that you avoided us, equally of course, from now till whenever we see fit. That is all.'

Crossing her arms, Fuse Aoba nodded her head while the other girls clapped at her speech.

They were all in favor of this as upset as they were about him 'cheating' on all of them, Keima had not really taken advantage of them in any way.

If he is to be called guilty, the only crime that he could be charged under would be perhaps the heartbreak and unanswered questions of his departure from their lives.

This was as big as a concession as the girls themselves would allow each other. They wished to be reunited with him and yet did not wish to see anyone of their own number be cheated of the opportunity to do so at the same time.

They do not wish to hurt each other or hurt him by aggressively staking a claim but did not wish to lose their stake by being passive.

Yes, it would be difficult for them to accept each other having an 'equal share' of his time, but until a better suggestion surfaces, this seems to be the best approach anyway.

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'Do I have a say in all this?'

Resigned to his fate, Katsuragi Keima would not dare to provoke the girls as they had him cornered and unable to escape…. And he had the feeling that no matter how he tried to persuade them, they wouldn't budge at all.

After a long while of inner struggling, monologues, Keima could only come up with this as a reply and naturally, the girls replied in unison.

'NO, YOU DON'T!'

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'Of course, Keima had no say in the matter, he would be surprised if he did at all. It seems that reality is using underhanded means to pull him from his rightful seat as **God.** It is a conspiracy, surely that is the truth!

But no matter how much whining he did, there was no use escaping from the two girls that was now sitting in front of him and sipping tea.

Another question that he found himself dying to ask the girls was: '_Why Him?_'

He is not a particularly attractive boy and he could admit that with a straight face as it is the truth. He values games above everything else, is not easily impressed by others, blunt with his words with no empathy or with any tact when speaking his views and above all, is not attracted to 'Real' girls at all…

All these qualities meant that girls who are attracted to him would have to endure his obsession with games, denial of attention to them as well as the lack of appreciation for their looks.

In short, he has no value of being a companion to a 'real girl' aside from perhaps, the emotional stability and assurance that he could, possibly provide…

Maybe anyway, he has saved them and filled in the gaps of their hearts and that counted for something, right?

From all the games that he played so far, the protagonist of the games have never been truly outstanding, they were kind, understanding and of course, in the right place at the right time with enough empathy to make him the heroine in question as well.

Not to mention, having the Devil's luck on their side makes their choices easy and straightforward to choose once someone gets to see the 'Ending'.

..

..

He has none of that luck, neither that empathy nor the time to invest in them… hence, him finding it odd that they would accept him for what he is… and perhaps, it made him a little touched as well at their gestures.

But being touched does not mean that he should be happy about it!

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Of course right now it's Fuse Aoba's turn to spend the afternoon with him and he found himself dragged from school to her room, where the three of them were now sitting and relaxing.

The last time Keima had been to her room, it had been scarcely furnished, containing the barest essentials to call it a room. There was a bed, a bookshelf and a table with chairs. That was it.

But right now, his influence is startling as besides the same bed, table and chair, the bookshelf was accompanied by a second, bigger shelf containing all the games that she had brought.

A new computer sat on the table along with at least three different set of game devices, as well as a few console devices resting at the sight.

It made him feel at home immediately and Keima found himself accepting Fuse Aoba the most out of the girls that he knew, Elsi aside of course, particularly so as they share the same interest and were very much alike.

Thus, he had been compelled to hope that he would be able to have a little time to enjoy his games with her… instead, he found himself being distracted by Haqua, who twitched and fidgeted in position while looking at the two of them.

He wondered why Haqua was with them in the first place, although it was stipulated amongst the girls that she too deserved 'rights' to be with him, she being a Tsundere had rejected it till the bitter end, and 'caved' to accept her 'rights' at the last moment, claiming that it would be punishment for him.

With Haqua being left alone while the two played their games silently, Keima found the atmosphere getting more awkward when Aoba did not say a word from the beginning till now as she concentrated on her games, only asking questions about it to Keima in a few occasions.

For Keima, he is naturally laconic unless it is absolutely necessary, usually so when he is worked up. Guilty as he was of engaging in monologues now and then, he found himself not needing to speak to Aoba more than necessary.

This all culminated in Haqua feeling even more awkward as the minutes ticked by, the three of them sitting together in a circle in Aoba's room while the latter two played their games.

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'I… I should go.'

Being unable to take the strain any longer, Haqua lowered her head and seemed ready to take off when Aoba suddenly spoke up, asking him a question that staggered him for a moment.

'**… Capturing God**, it seems that Neko-mimi as well as Usa-mimi are getting popular again… do you like those characters as well?'

An innocent enough question, but surely that was not the case as Keima noticed the slight movement of her lips that signified that she was silently smirking to herself. Of course, more obvious to the eye was how Haqua visibly flinched at the question, turning red in the process.

Such a troublesome girl…

'it depends on the story, the setting and of course how the characters are fleshed out in the game. Stereotypical characters, no matter the design, will never fare well in the harsh reality of the Galgame Genre. I assume you know that as well?

Being absolutely perfect is only a recipe for disaster… looks could only carry one so far and it is purely superficial. There is no guarantee that looks will make one succeed, it is the culmination of character, personality as well as image that makes a character a popular one.'

Nodding his head at the textbook answer he gave, Keima was gratified and proud that Aoba was in agreement with him as well.

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..

'That is correct, Katsuragi-san. However, I am merely asking in terms of artistic value right now. Taking out the character's personality, the background of the story and even their species…'

Aoba stopped abruptly and looked away awkwardly as Keima stared at her in disapproval and she quickly explained herself.

'There are some stories where the Characters themselves are not fully or truly human, but human-like hybrids with animal-like characteristics… for one good example one can look at Leaf/Aquaplus's earlier works…'

Sighing in relief when Keima backed off, Aoba continued on.

'I am asking your personal preference, Katsuragi-san… would you prefer characters to dress up at all or have those characteristics at all? I believe that _Moe_ is an appeal that is universal, regardless of the quality, art style and skill of the artwork from the artists, that there is a special quality of _Moe_ that comes from those girls, don't you agree?'

Smiling a winning smile, which to others would simply be a half-smile, Fuse Aoba said her piece and waited enthusiastically for an answer while surprisingly, Haqua waited with baited hooks at the side.

..

'I admit, that you might be right in the assumption. For a character design to be perfect in one's eyes would require the artist to magically match every single aspect about the character to a person's taste. With the amount of character designs, the number of heroines that exist in the world today, it is certainly possible for anyone to find a character that they view as the perfect girl.

It is of course, more difficult to match one's preferred and favorite personality to the design 100% of the time, the odds are a little difficult in that aspect.'

Coughing when he realized that he was going off topic, Katsuragi Keima nodded and agreed with Aoba reservedly. She was planning something and in light of that, he should be more cautious.

'I can agree with your statement, adding the aspect and image of another, non-human aspect that is widely known to be cute or adorable will certainly add a certain _Moe_ factor to her.'

Smiling oddly, Aoba pressed Keima for an answer yet again.

'So, am I accurate to assume that, Katsuragi-san would view and agree that when a girl, wore some aspect of a Cat, like Cat-ears or Cat-paws… even once, it would certainly add to her appeal?'

'… What are you getting at, Fuse?'

Referring to her by her family name, Keima signaled that he was sick of playing games and the **Mai-Hime**, staying true to her name and reputation, simply smiled and reinstated that she just wanted his honest opinions… that was all.

'After all, I would never imagine anyone would ever wear something like that to score points, would you, Haqua?'

..

..

Keima saw that mischievous glint in her eyes and wondered for a moment whether Aoba and Haqua's conversation earlier, the one that had caused Haqua to turn cherry red up to her eyes, had been this conversation after all?

Nah… Haqua couldn't have been gullible enough to…

..

..

'Yes, I suppose that is accurate. A scene like that would certainly add an aspect of the character that would not have surfaced without that scene in the first place…'

Rubbing his chin, Keima felt an overwhelming surge of killing intent from Haqua the moment he replied and before he realized what was happening, the devil sprang to her feet and waved her scythe in front of her threateningly.

'N-No Way!... No Way! There's no way that I'll… that I'll!'

As he expected(dreaded) and was fearful for, Keima knew that Haqua was not speaking to him but instead towards Fuse Aoba, that was now slowly getting up with the same mischievous smile that he saw earlier.

'What is this, Haqua-san? We had a friendly wager between the two of us… I cannot believe that you would forfeit on your promise… I am very disappointed in you, Haqua-san. What would Katsuragi-san or Elsi-san thank of you now?'

Crossing her arms, the **Mai-Hime** had obviously outwitted and outplayed the Devil Genius and right in front of him, Keima saw how Haqua literally deflated when she looked from Aoba to him.

Aoba had played the right cards, attacked the right places and subsequently, denied Haqua any space for negotiations.

'T-This is all your fault! Men are perverts! All of you are perverts!'

Flailing her scythe around in protest, Keima groaned while Aoba did not even bat an eyelid at her response.

..

..

'We can debate that fact later on, Haqua-san. It will be a very interesting debate that I will find great joy speaking with you about… but right now, I expect you to fulfill the terms of the forfeit immediately. If I have lost... I would have done my forfeit immediately as well.'

Pressuring Haqua by walking over to the flustered girl, Aoba evidently had the upper-hand as Haqua dropped her arms to the side in defeat when Fuse literally loomed over her.

As to who had the upper hand, the fact was clear to everyone present.

'Now then… will you~?'

..

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><p><strong>Author's Note: This is originally supposed to be a one-shot but as you can see... it turned out like this.<strong>

**Anyway, R&R to support me. IRL's been really tough on me and I'm not writing that much lately, so reviews will help alot!  
><strong>


	2. Character Development

**The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox**

**Chapter 2: Character Development**

**Original Concept by: Tamaki Wakaki**

**Written by: wrathie**

Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Thanks to <em>Kaiser Dude<em> for the Beta-read and the edit. Time for a change of heroine for a change.**

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><p>..<p>

..

When Haqua and Aoba returned, Keima found himself speechless as he saw what Haqua was wearing. Instead of the usual Weiss Capturing Squad Uniform, Haqua was sporting a Mai-High uniform with a pair of white Cat-ears, matching paws and tail. Topping off the outfit (insult), was that Aoba had conveniently found a collar with a large bell on it for her to wear around her neck.

'…'

Turning as red as a cherry as Keima stared at her, Haqua opened her mouth to shout but then, upon feeling Aoba's hands on her shoulders, abruptly closed her mouth tight and shook her head for some reason. All the while making threatening gestures with her paws… Yes, paws as she was wearing gloves that mimicked the paws of a kitten.

'Doesn't she look cute, Katsuragi-san?'

Petting Haqua on the head, Aoba no doubt pissed off Haqua even more but the demon stubbornly refused to speak regardless of any provocation by the **Mai-Hime**.

'You seem to be having fun, Fuse. Are the two of you good friends so soon?'

Knowing that he had no control over their private life, Keima was nonetheless disturbed by the change in Haqua's wardrobe… Keima realized that Aoba is actually enjoying herself by teasing Haqua like this.

It must be rare for her to meet anyone who was as intelligent, sharp or as talented as her. Even he had difficulty in keeping up with this genius at the start and till he discovered that she was interested in his area of expertise, he was always at the losing end.

Haqua might be one of those rare geniuses that was able to keep up with her. The key word here was 'might' as Keima had serious doubts about whether Haqua can live up to her reputation.

However, if she was able to compete in an even playing field with her, Keima had no doubts that they might actually be quite compatible with each other as friends, friendly rivals and even partners.

He could picture their relationship to be somewhat similar to the one Elsi and Haqua shared, only the roles were reserved. It was Aoba asserting total dominance over Haqua.

..

..

But he had no doubts that Haqua would eventually get one over Fuse; overconfidence were flaws that two of them shared but there was a mark difference between the two geniuses.

After Elsi 'captured' Haqua and helped her through her worries, she had been more in control of herself and in many other ways.

..

..

Looking surprised at his suggestion, Keima saw a gap in Aoba's defenses when his train of thought screeched to a halt immediately at his words.  
>So even she herself did not realize how close she had gotten to Haqua till he pointed it out to her.<p>

'O-of course not; why would I be friends with a human like her?'

But it was Haqua who snapped first and the genius demon was immediately picked by the human when she recovered and remarked to Haqua with a smirk on her face.

'Haqua-san, you do remember our agreement? Now please, repeat the sentence~~'

Almost purring in delight at how she had Haqua where she wanted her to be, Fuse Aoba's smile got even bigger when Haqua, after struggling for a few seconds, finally croaked out.

'Y-you! I-I'll get you for this, Nyah~!'

It was enough to get Keima to be knocked off his feet seeing how pathetic and embarrassed Haqua was at this state; forced to wear something so embarrassing plus having to speak in such a fashion that he wondered if she would just kill herself to spare herself the shame.

'That is perfect, Haqua-san. As per your agreement, please keep this up for 55 more minutes and you can take it off.'

Smiling, Fuse went back to her seat while Haqua sank down behind Fuse's bed to hide herself, warning Keima to not look at her at all.

'D-don't look at me, Keima-Baka! You men are all perverts, Hentai!'

'Please do remember to add that expression at the end, Haqua-san~'

'NYAAAH!'

Keima wondered how long the madness would end when after around 10 minutes of moping, Haqua suddenly spoke up, poking her head up from behind the bed and questioned Keima herself.

'Katsuragi, now it's your turn to answer a question from me, nyah~'

..

..

Keeping as straight a face as she could manage, Haqua managed to interrupt Fuse, who seemed panicked for some reason. Was it another gamble between the two of them?

'Do I really look cute in this, nyah?~ Be honest!'

Taking the direct route for a change, this time Haqua had the initiative as Fuse was stunned while Keima just looked away, averting his eyes and choosing not to answer.

That however, was sufficient for an answer and Haqua blushed even deeper as she lowered her head down for a second time.

'…'

Ignoring Fuse, who was now currently looking at him disapprovingly, the two of them jumped when Haqua shouted from across the room again.

'Katsuragi-Baka!' Would you like me… t-to call you, Master too nyah?~'

Keima felt his world collapse and his glasses actually slipped down the bridge of his nose, almost falling off for the first time in like ever, while Aoba turned red and looked down at the sheer audacity of that suggestion.

'W-what…? What are you talking about?'

Losing his cool for the first time today, Keima knew he would never live it down if Elsi overheard any part of this conversation.

'W-well? Would you like me to call, master, Keima-baka, nyah?~'

Even if she was a tsundere, this was beyond what she would and should do and Keima found himself nursing a very serious migraine while Aoba just looked away from Haqua, almost in disgust as the Demon reappeared from behind the bed and started walking over to the two of them, her hands tucked behind her back coyly.

..

'Don't ever say that again… This is a work-safe fanfic.'

Breaking the 4th wall, Katsuragi Keima or the **Capturing God**, dismissed the suggestion and Haqua nodded her head eagerly as she continued. Did she have something up her sleeve after all?

'Well… would it be different if a maid said that nyah?~'

That would depend on the character and setting… but yes, it is generally accepted that Maid-characters are allowed to call the protagonist, 'master'.'

Agreeing with her and noticing how Aoba had frozen in position upon hearing her words, Keima turned to focus his attention on Haqua and ignored the frantic attempts Aoba tried to get his attention.

He owed it to her a little for being the main reason that she was currently dressed in such an embarrassing outfit.

'… I see… then, do you like Maid-characters too, nyah~? It'll be cute if someone like me or Elsi dress up like a maid, nyah~~ Does it increase our attractiveness too, nyah~~'

Taking a leaf out of Aoba's book, Haqua's smile got bigger when she saw how the blood was draining out of Aoba's face while Keima's migraine simply got worst.

However, he considered the image as well as seriously considering the idea as well.

'Victorian maids have been with us for a long time and it is only recently that they had their image tarnished by a few… stereotypes… However it is hard to argue with a working formula. To make it a simple answer, being a maid does help to increase attractiveness to a character… generally of course.'

Knowing full well that he had helped Haqua get back at Aoba, the **Capturing God** sighed and avoided the **Mai-Hime's** angry gaze as it was Haqua's turn to pull the protesting genius away to have a change of uniforms.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

Normal people would envious the **Capturing God** for he had both a Cat-girl and a Maid-girl sitting beside him but if one had to be the middleman between the two girls currently mad at each other and him, the situation meant that he was actually suffering just by being in the same room as them.

The 'competition' had escalated upon that reversal from Haqua and Aoba had upped the ante by serving a cup of tea, 'clumsy maid-style' and splashing tea over his lap by accident.

'I-I'm so sorry, M-master! I'll help you clean up!'

Trying to help him clean up, Fuse was 'countered' by Haqua 'tripping' over herself and falling into Keima's lap, monopolizing him for a while till Keima snapped and forced the two of them to sit away from him; he ranted to them about how they are carrying themselves as it was really too much!

..

'I am VERY disappointed with the two of you! I expected that out of everyone else, the two of you would at least be not so shameless or disappointing! Instead, the both of you are employing cheap tricks to gain 'points'! You are not just lowering my expectations and gradings for the two of you… you are demeaning yourself as well.

Girls of your standing should not resort to such means, you have your own appeal and your own attractiveness… out of all of the girls, the two of you are the most distinct, have the most personality and of course, have the most intelligence, resources and willpower to date…'

Realizing that he was piling it on a little thick as both girls were avoiding his eyes, their cheeks cherry red, the **Capturing God **allowed himself one last sign before running his hand through both of their hairs and ending his rant.

'Both of you have your own charm and your own selling points, there is no reason for the both of you to resort to such cheap tricks to try and appeal to me… I'd…'

Swallowing nervously as the two girls looked up at him expectantly, Katsuragi Keima finished off at last.

'I'd rather both of you be who you are… instead of trying to lie to yourself and to me.'

Both girls fell silent as they knelt down in front of him, Keima grabbing his bag and getting ready to leave. The two girls needed some time alone together to think and having him here would just cloud their judgment after all.

..

..

'Think about it, Aoba, Haqua… I am sure that the two of you know deep inside that what I said is the truth as well. Instead of trying to replicate something that you can never hope to be, why don't you simply showcase what you have instead?'

Looking away from the two of them, Keima prepared to leave when he felt a tug and he turned to see the two girls, their hands clutching on to his shirt furtively.

'I'm sorry… Katsuragi.'

'It is my mistake, I should…. Not have done that after all…'

Looking ashamed at herself, Aoba Fuse cleared her throat and asked Keima whether he would like to spend some time with her again, even after this shameful incident.

'Of course I will; you're my first and finest student after all.'

Keima nodded in affirmative and Haqua spoke up as well after her, looking a little unhappy but embarrassed at the same time.

..

'Forget what you just saw… I wasn't thinking… I.. I was just so mad… but, I suppose I'll have to ask you as well… would you be willing, to spend some time with me over the weekend? I… I think Yukie would like to have you over as well…'

Hoping that he would, Haqua smiled gratefully as Keima nodded and sighed.

'As long as you'll allow me to play my games as well…'

'But only if you go out on a date with me as well, Katsuragi…'

Retorting back quickly, the two of them seemed to have reverted back to their usual selves and Keima for one, was very thankful for that…

In a way, the two of them competing with each other was very interesting as he noticed that Haqua had gotten the measure of Aoba remarkably quickly and had turned the tables on her relatively easily after her initial failure. Does this mean that Haqua was indeed similar to Fuse after all?

It was as they always say: 'I would rather have the enemy that I know, then the enemy that I don't know.'

As one can say that one knows each other's habits, mannerism and ability the best, Haqua was Fuse's worst enemy as she knew exactly what Fuse is capable of by knowing herself very well?

All in all, even if this was the beginning of a horrible and painful new way of life. Keima had come out of the experience more thoughtful than anything else.

..

..

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><p>..<p>

..

'…'

The next day, a Saturday by the way, had Keima sitting in with Kasuga Kusonoki while she practice her Karate and Keima found himself helping to clean up the dojo once again. He had not imagined that he would be doing that again but with time comes experience and he quickly got it done just after Kusonoki had done her warm ups.

Noticing that they were alone in the dojo, Kusonoki quickly explained to Keima that classes and training only started after 9am.

'Of course… do you wish to have some crackers with your tea?'

Remembering that Kusonoki favored hard and dry crackers along with her tea, Keima fetched her favorite snack while Kusonoki started on some basic movements that she had been doing ever since she remembered. But today, her form was off and she couldn't seem to concentrate, the reason being the boy who was looking over her and she found it difficult to focus.

She was unable to locate the inner calm and inside her that would allow her to get into the 'zone' that would enable her to remove all unneeded thoughts for her practice sessions.

To make matters worse, the cat that she had started to keep at the dojo appeared and it quickly walked over to Kusonoki, begging to be picked up and she relented after a moment's hesitation, bending down to pet the little cat and to hold it in her arms.

Odd really, how this cat liked to be picked up, normal cats would only react to food while rubbing their bodies against one body, right?

..

'Are you just going to sit there the whole day, Katsuragi?'

Walking over to him, Kusonoki sat down beside him while picking up a cup of tea that he had poured and she sipped it happily, feeding the cat a few treats that she had secretly stashed away.

'I am not going to spar with you,'

He replied bluntly while playing on the PFP of his and Kusonoki found her temper flaring for a moment before she controlled it, swallowing her anger and lowering her head.

'… of course, I know that I am expecting a lot out of you, Katsuragi… for coming to accompany me… when I have no idea what to do at all., How does one spend time with another person and have fun at the same time?'

An awkward silence followed and Kusonoki found herself even more bothered as the seconds ticked away. She can't help but be frustrated at wasting time like this, but she was saying the truth… this Dojo and her Karate was her everything, there was nothing else that she can be familiar with…

Even that one date with Keima had not gone on well… she had fun, but she didn't know about him, did he have fun?

It wouldn't be fair for him if only she had all the fun after all… Who ever knew that having fun… would be so difficult…

..

..

'It's not difficult at all.'

He spoke up suddenly and Kusonoki found herself staring back at him in disbelief, a strange feeling growing in her heart at seeing him so calm and confident at what he was saying to her.

'It is not difficult at all, to have fun… to have fun would be doing something that one enjoyed, no? If you enjoyed yourself practicing, then it is alright if I accompanied you while playing my PFP, that way the both of us are enjoying the time we are spending together, no?'

Smiling, Keima was immediately struck hard by Kusonoki and the bespectacled boy rolled away in pain. But really, could you blame Kusonoki for doing that?

..

'A-After all this time… is that what you have to tell me?'

Feeling a surge of anger and disappoint well over her, Kasuga Kusonki stood up and stomped over to the Dojo door before kicking it open in anger.

'Go then! Go and don't come back! I don't want to see you again…!'

She had been so worried, wishing and hoping that her feelings for him would go through… she hoped that he would actually care about her enough to help her out… she only had Martial arts and had nothing else… couldn't he help her out a little?

Why must she be the one giving in to him all the time?

..

'Are you disappointed?'

He spoke up quietly, rubbing his face where was a red hand print on it and Kusonoki recoiled a little at how composed he was after being so idiotic a moment later.

She had forgotten that this boy was the same person that had somehow got passed the mental wall that she had built up for so many years easily and she started praying again.

'Are you disappointed in who I really am, Kusonoki-senpai?'

Pushing his glasses up, he challenged her again and after a moment's hesitation, she found her voice and nodded back in affirmative.

'Yes… I.. I had hoped that…'

'I have nothing more to say here if that is all you are going to say…'

Cutting off negotiations almost immediately, it would not be exaggeration to say that if someone dropped a pin in the room, it could be heard easily.

'We have nothing more to say to each other, if that is what you will keep saying, Kusonoki-senpai. Do you even know what it is like to be in a relationship?'

A hard question and Kusonoki found herself unable to reply him, much to her surprise. Did she really not know what it is like to be in a relationship?

'I could perhaps tolerate you being unable to find a way for the both of us to be together having fun. I understand that Kusonoki-senpai has her difficulties due to her way of life, responsibilities as well as your character type, a Tsundere makes it even more difficult for one to express one's true thoughts without some display of violence.'

Finding it a little insulting at his suggestions, Kusonoki nonetheless remained silent as Keima started to pace around the dojo with the cat following him as well.

'Let me answer your question earlier, Kusonoki-senpai. It is not difficult to have fun together as it is very simple. Enjoying the day together is simply enjoying one's time with another person.

It simply does not matter what one does, what one likes and whether we are arguing, laughing or even if we are merely resting together... what is important however, is that we are content and happy with the person during the time together.'

His words seemed so simple and so hard at the same time and Kusonoki's open mouth told Keima to go on and he sighed while explaining.

..

..

'If we are arguing, do you feel mad, Kusonoki-senpai?'

'Of course...it is not wise to keep arguing with each other... right?'

Looking a little unsure, Kusonoki felt that his words made even less sense when Keima shook his head.

'No, I can rightfully say that the time I spend arguing with you is the most 'fun' I had with you, Kusonoki-senpai.'

His words shocked her and she could only stare blankly at him as he elaborated to her.

'It is the time that I feel we are the closest, that I can know what you are feeling, what you are thinking and who you really are. The time that I feel that we are the furthest part is when you are compromising, letting your opinions be squashed to agree with me. That is my honest feelings.'

Pushing his glasses up, Keima crossed his arms as he continued on.

'That is why I said that I have nothing to say to you... if that is only what you have to say. I may be a **God** but I am not the only one in this relationship that you wish to have between us, Kusonoki-senpai.

None of us can have the sole say in the relationship, I believe it is not a real one if only one person has the full rights... and it is more a lie when one party pushes the responsibility of the other and expect him to carry the burden by himself... a relationship is not about one of us, it is about the **two of us.**'

Placing one hand on his chest as he elaborated, Kusonoki found herself embarrassed and ashamed by his passionate speech. Was she just avoiding and running away from the truth? Was she trying to ignore and push away the really important things and leaving it all to him to pick up the pieces?

'Even if something went wrong, even if we argue and most importantly, even if one of us is unhappy with the other... it can be part of the bond that two people who are together share... it is a never-ending process, something that is similar to trial and error, and most importantly can only be achieved by two people, not just one.'

Keima smiled while pushing his glasses up and offering a hand to Kusonoki, who looked at it uncertainly.

'If you are so doubtful, you can have as much time as you wish to consider it... I cannot guarantee that this is a true relationship nor can I promise that it will turn out to be one at the end.

But if you want to have fun, for me to spend time with you... you will have to take the first step and to simply learn about me... just like how I know what you like, what you do and what you dislike too.'

..

..

Come to think of it, does she know anything about Katsuragi Keima after all? It seems that he had all the cards in his hands while she had none at all.

However, she knew what he said was true, the time that they spent together either arguing or just cleaning the dojo was enjoyable... right? She remembered them in detail and she found herself smiling at those odd memories before she bowed deeply to him.

'I... have much to learn, Katsuragi... please, guide me along. I wish to know more about you as well... you are right, in all that you had said to me.'

She lowered her head and bowed to him, the master of this particular subject. Before, she was the master and he was the student... but now the roles have been reversed and she realized another thing too.

The pressure and 'aura' that she felt when the two of them met was simply a clash of their ways of life, hers of martial arts and his of his 'games'... like she is the master of her own field. He is the master of his expertise and Kusonoki found herself humbled by his patience in dealing with someone as inexperienced as she is in the first place.

'Please... would you guide me through this path? It is like you said, it might not be something that is real or something that will last... but at least, I wish to make our time together, truly enjoyable and not time that is spent lying to one another... like what you did before.'

Adding a jab at him before she realized, Kusonoki turned red and hastily waved her hands in front of her as if she could dissipate the bad atmosphere by doing so while apologizing to him.

'I-I'm sorry, Katsuragi! I... I'm'

..

'You are simply being honest, I cannot fault you with that.'

Was it her imagination or did he seem a little guilty at having that issue being highlighted to him? Kusonoki lowered her head, hoping that she did not make him too upset with her words.

Yes, it is his fault for keeping his other 'affairs' from her, but in the same measure one can say that it would be her fault in taking no action after learning about the truth. They both can be guilty and not guilty at the same time. It all depends on what perspective one wishes to take after all.

'I apologize, Katsuragi... it is my fault as well as yours, for not being frank with myself, for letting myself forget such an important event, that clearly meant so much to me.'

She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth for a moment before she raised her head suddenly, taking Keima by surprise when she grabbed his hands without warning.

'However, that does not mean that my feelings, this emotion that I feel will change even after knowing the truth.

The truth hurts, but it hurts even more, if I kept these feelings bottled inside. So please, can we still go down this path, even with the mistakes that we both have made? I would like to give you a second chance if you... would give me one too.'

Sounding hopeful, Kasuga Kusonoki smiled happily, as much as she could anyway, to Keima who simply nodded to her.

'We can, at least try... there will be no promises, but at least, we can still try.'

'Thank you, Katsuragi...'

Lowering her head, Kasuga Kusonoki looked embarrassed at having a boy her junior teach her about something so basic that her face turned cherry red.

'It is nothing to be ashamed about, being able to admit one's flaws is admirable as it is a brave thing to do. No one is perfect in the world. Having the willingness to learn is a virtue that one should value.'

Pushing his glasses up, Katsuragi Keima nodded and returned back to his games briefly till Kusonoki spoke up again.

..

'Katsuragi, do you mind, accompanying me for a walk?'

She asked hopefully and she was rewarded with a nod from Keima as well as a sigh from the resigned **Capturing God**.

'If that is what you wish me to do, of course I will do that.'

'Thank you...'

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><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>: **Don't be stingy! Review today!**


	3. A Long Waited Entrance

_**The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox**_

_**Chapter 3: A Long Awaited Entrance**_

_**Original Concept by: Tamaki Wakaki**_

_**Written by: wrathie**_

_**..**_

_**..  
><strong>_

_**Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.**_

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: This chapter was surprisingly easy. Again, thanks to <em>Kaiser Dude<em> for the beta-read and edit. Lastly, Thank you, _Catherine~_**

**_Kanon Fans REJOICE! This is a Sister Chapter for TWOGK: Azalea Side: Chapter 41!  
><em>**

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><p><strong>..<strong>

**..  
><strong>

Taking a walk with Katsuragi Keima made Kasuga Kusonoki feel a little awkward as this was a new experience as she had not taken anyone on a tour of the grounds of the Dojo before.

Being the headmistress of the establishment in a way, she knew the grounds from top to bottom as she has no obligation to conduct a tour for any newcomer to the Dojo.

Perhaps it was his presence that was making her feel nervous, and she walked slower and slower till Keima was a few feet in front of her without her realizing it.

'Kasuga-senpai?'

Glad and disappointed at the same time that he was still addressing her so formally and as his senior, she hurried up and continued to introduce the grounds to him. She was quite proud of her home and of her martial arts style as well and she found herself unable to relate to Keima with anything at all.

Desperate for conversation, she recalled the conversation/discussion she had with the girls. All of them had demanded answers from Keima's sister, Katsuragi Elsi about why Keima had left all of them and of course, why they had the memory loss in the first place.

It was similar to something straight out of as science fiction story and Kusonoki had difficulty believing her till Elsi's friend, Haqua Du Lot Herminium flew straight into the conversation, literally.

This was when they able to come to terms with the situation, albeit grudgingly at beast.

She did not know the full details and the person, Haqua, said that it would be best if they do not know as well as it was too dangerous.

Who knew what her superiors would do to Elsi and Keima if they ever found out that they knew what was going on around them.

She was only bearing just a fraction of the cross that Keima was bearing and after reflecting upon it, Kusonoki found new respect for the frail looking boy in front of him.

..

..

'Is it dangerous...?'

'What is dangerous?'

Eyes widening as Kusonoki walked towards him with an expression that Keima could only describe as 'serene', Keima was confused as to what she was referring to as she led him towards a small pond in the middle of the Dojo Grounds.

'Your duty,that you are doing behind our backs... what Haqua-san said that she can't tell us about... Is it dangerous?'

Watching Keima consider his answer, Kusonoki was touched that he was actually evaluating his answer for her. It would be nice for her to know the full truth, but surely he could or would not give her the answer that she wished for. It was for their own good, their protection, and for the sake of the stability of the world, if Haqua-san is saying the truth.

'It is, to some extent, that is why... it is better for you not to know anything about it at all. In fact, I would prefer it to be so.'

He said so softly and Kusonoki found herself turning redder and even more embarrassed when she realized that he was indeed protecting her. She felt a little indignant as well as she was stronger than him after all. Couldn't she help do anything at all?

'I'm not a person to run away from danger, Katsuragi,'

Placing her fist over her chest where her heart was, Kusonoki smiled confidently as Keima simply raised an eyebrow at her gesture.

'I swear, from this point onwards, if you need any assistance, any help whatsoever, I will do my best to help you, whether or not you actively seek for help, as long as I get wind of you being in danger.

I will protect you, this is the only thing I can do after all.'

Looking at her fist regretfully, Kusonoki admitted that she really was not worthy of being a lover or a girlfriend after all. Years of isolation add dedication to her martial arts have left her detached from the image and personality of a woman.

But it suited her fine; she could start now, to rediscover her feminine side, from this moment onwards if it was for him. While still being a martial artist of course!

'You don't need to do that.'

..

..

Sounding a little surprised and embarrassed at the same time at her suggestion, Keima looked away while Kusonoki insisted on that.

'Regardless, I wish to protect you, Katsuragi, I think that will be my way of showing you my feelings. I just realized that I have not protected anything for myself this whole time.

I am the successor of this Dojo due to my family's influence... although I have protected my family's Dojo all this time. This will be my first time choosing what I wish to protect by myself... It is something that I hold dear to me after all.'

Blushing but finding it something to be proud and happy about, Kasuga Kusonoki unexpectedly discovered a way to express her feelings for the bewildered boy in front of her.

'I wish to protect you, Katsuragi. I think that by expressing myself through this way is the easiest way so far. I do not wish to see harm befall you in any way or fashion. It is an odd feeling... but, this is the clearest way for me to explain my feelings... is.. is that a start?'

Considering that preposition for a moment, Katsuragi Keima nodded and shared his sentiments with her statement.

'That is indeed a start. Everyone has their own way of expressing their feelings, especially feelings of affection. If you believed that would be the best way to express how you feel towards me. It does not matter what others think, the only thing that matters is that you believe that it is right. Your feelings will be known to me through that gesture.'

He himself was not sure how her promise will ever come true; he did not intend to get into dangerous situations that would require her assistance. But as always, it is the thought and sincerity in her words that really counted and he saw no reason to put her hopes down.

..

'Even so, please do not be reckless and get hurt while you attempt to defend me. If it is deemed too dangerous, I demand that you run for help. It would not do for you to get injured over something that is pointless in the first place.'

Reminding her bluntly, Keima blinked when Kusonoki blushed even more as she muttered that she never had anyone consider about her own safety before, besides her sister of course.

'You, you have a sister... Kasuga-senpai?'

That was news to him and he listened to her talk about her sister for the rest of their time in the Dojo grounds. He discovered that it was significantly easier for her to speak about her sister than she did for many other subjects and he made a mental note for Elsi to do some background research on Kasauga Kusonoki's sister.

'Thank you, Katsuragi. Thank you for your time. I have taken too much of your time today, so I will repay it back somehow.'

Bowing to him in front of a whole group of scandalized men from different ages, Kasuga Kusonoki had a twisted expression of regret and sadness as she asked Keima directly.

'I would likely not remember what happened earlier... if they found out, wouldn't I?'

It was the brutal truth and Keima hesitated visibly before nodding his head while giving an answer.

'Yes. I'm sorry.'

..

He did not know why he was apologizing but he felt that he should as Kasuga Kusonoki's facial expression simply went rigid but it was only for a moment when she shook her head and smiled.

'Nonetheless, I will strive to remember the promise that I make you. No, I will train my mind and soul to remember it. It is something that I gained that is very precious to me... and I don't wish to lose it through that.'

To that, Katsuragi Keima had only one answer as he turned away from the startled senior with a small smile on his face.

'You'll remember in your heart, Kusonoki senpai. If that is true, you will remember that in your heart... somehow and some way, the spark that you ignited will continue to live on.'

Although he found it torturous to not be able to play his games, Katsuragi Keima took away something important from Kasuga Kusonoki as well. He found himself strangely looking forward to visiting the next person that had been 'scheduled' for him.

Nakagawa Kanon.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Keima-kun, I'll be waiting at the Bus-Stop near XXX Street – Love, Nakagawa Kanon.'

Looking at her message which she sent the day before, Keima quickly replied that he was heading there right now. Of course, he was not surprised to have her reply almost instantly the moment he hit the send button.

'Keima-kun, I'll be waiting for you there then! - Love, Nakagawa Kanon.'

It was around 30 minutes before the stipulated meeting time and Keima groaned as he realized that he wouldn't be able to catch a break while travelling to the bus stop as she would surely pepper him with E-mails non-stop.

However, he was proven wrong when his inbox did not even ring once while he was making his way there.

..

'Good day, Keima-kun!'

Going incognito as she was wearing a thick blazer, complete with a scarf and a big hat with her glasses to hide her face and frame. She still looked quite cute though when she removed her glasses while beaming at Keima, just like a fluffy sheep, but no one will actually recognize her as THE Nakagawa Kanon when Keima waved back to her.

'Good morning, Nakagawa.'

Looking to the sides to reaffirm that no one else was paying special attention to them, Keima corrected himself as Kanon was pouting slightly as he walked to her.

'Good morning, Kanon.'

That's nicer, Keima-kun~ it's not nice to call a girl that likes you by their family name, desho?'

'I figured that it'll be more formal.'

He answered dryly but Kanon did not seem to mind as she hooked hands with him, pulling closer to him while Keima shifted away uneasily. He wasn't used to physical contact just yet but Kanon was having none of that as she stubbornly stuck to him like glue, not letting him shake her off.

Naturally, the two of them could hear people around discussing about the two of them.

..

_'That girl is quite cute! Shame that she's wasted on someone like him.'_

_'Yeah yeah, wonder why he's so reluctant... maybe, he's a girl?'_

_'No way! You mean like those lesbian couples?'_

_'Or maybe he's just impotent...'_

_'Yeah that's possible aright!'_

..

Kanon simply giggled while a vein popped out of Keima's head, that was an insult that he could not bear and he slowly curled his hands around Kanon's waist and held her tight there, resulting in Kanon giving a squeak and her hands burning red as she felt and saw where he was touching.

"Eheh~ we really looked like a couple now, don't we?'

She shyly spoke aloud to Keima and the boy surprised and silenced everyone, even his own critics when he retorted sternly to her utter embarrassment.

'Aren't we one in the first place?'

'Keima-kun...'

So shocked was at his sudden statement that despite Kanon knowing full well that Keima was probably just bluffing, she couldn't find the courage to look at Keima in the eye at all till they boarded the bus.

'Where are we going, Kanon?'

Whispering to her as they sat together, Kanon not letting Keima's hands go and the poor boy found Kanon resting their joined hands on her lap, much to his discomfort.

'To the stadium, Keima-kun. I want to remember how I first fell in love with you. It was there, right? Of the biggest and most important night of my life... I won't ever forget it... but I want to relive it...'

It was not a selfish request and Keima nodded his head while pulling out his PFP.

'May I play when we are travelling then? It will be a while before we reach...'

..

..

Nodding, Kanon scored some points when she allowed Keima his little retreat, pulling out her earphones and plugging herself into her music as well. Of course, it was all part of her plan as she leaned closer to him and rested her head on his shoulders, the perfect picture of a couple.

Throughout the journey, the two of them were silent, absorbed into their own world and their own lifestyle. Keima with his games and Kanon with her music, the two of them could be said to be in different worlds, living different lives but that in turn made the time that they could spend together even more precious.

Looking out at the buildings that were moving away from them, the two of them sat in silence, enjoying each other's company. In a way, that was why precisely the two of them are compatible with each other.

They are not the same, therefore they are a match. They were able to embrace and accept each other's flaws, each other's interest, each other's imperfection. and to make the both of them complete without pressuring the other party.

Their worlds do not clash like Keima's and Kusonoki; they just get along, drifting along common grounds as well as pushing against each other to make them unique.

Keima of course wondered what Kanon meant by wanting to relive the moment; she did not quite make sense to him but he knew it could be worse.

Kanon on the other hand, simply wondered how much she could get away with today, perhaps she could get a kiss from him again, her first kiss was something that she remembered clearly and fondly and she wondered if all kisses were like that. She would only find out by being kissed again, won't she?

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Look, Keima-kun!'

Stepping out of the bus into the scene of her first concert, Nakagawa Kanon was beside herself with joy as she ran towards the stairs leading into the stadium. She might have another concert scheduled in the future but the venue of her first concert was as memorable, if overshadowed by the first experience of love for Keima.

Of course Kanon did not expect Keima to share the same feelings that she had but she was glad to see that he played along at least, joining her in leaning against the railing overlooking stadium.

I will never forget my first concert, ever, Keima-kun. It was difficult but I am glad that I had that concert, the practice sessions I did and all the hard work ... was worth it. Because, Keima-kun'

She paused for a moment, remembering the emotions that she felt singing as she smiled at Keima.

'It was my first time singing with all my heart. It was like what you said to me, my dream is to show the world my emotions while singing, what I feel about singing... I don't really know how others think about my singing... but I just wish they could understand what I feel about my singing... it's hard to explain, Keima-kun... but...'

Kanon herself did not know how to explain and express why she wanted to sing and admittedly she had gotten stuck at one of the interviews for that.

She always liked singing, whether it was singing popular songs while she was still a teenager or singing songs that she wrote herself. But she did not quite know why she wanted to sing, till she met Keima.

Keima told her that she was a 'star', someone who shines brighter than anyone else just by singing her songs. She supposed that she wanted to sing to express herself, without using words but using her songs and the... emotion she can project through her songs.

Of course, she was popular, but she did not wish to be popular just for the sake of it. Rather, she wanted to be a top idol to allow more people to listen to her feelings... it sounded wrong, like she was asking for attention but...

..

'I understand.'

Keima said so abruptly, cutting her off and Kanon felt her heart beat faster in anticipation as if he had just read her mind. While he simply guided Kanon down from the stairs towards the stadium, the afternoon wind blowing strongly against them as if it wished to prevent them from reaching their destination in the first place.

'You simply wish to express yourself; it is not something wrong, nor is it something easy. Everyone wishes to express themselves in some way, to be known, to be recognized.

That is your wish, and although it may be selfish for you to say that you wish to sing just to express yourself. You are not simply expressing your identity or showcasing your talent to mock and belittle others. You are expressing your true emotions for the songs that you are singing.'

Songs are not just mindless and random words put together with music, all songs are similar to a story; a short story expressing what the song writer was trying to express to the world.

It is accompanied by the symphony, music that suits the tone and beat of the music to allow the song to better emphasize it's story. But the most important part was the singer; the singer must express and tell the story of the song to those listening to them.

A song is something special and unique as not everyone is suitable to sing a song, it has to be tailored, made for a singer with the right vocal as well as the skills to sing a song.

One can sing one's heart out in a karaoke and would not meet the same level of standard or evoke the same amount of emotions from a song as the original actress who performed it.'

..

'You are a story teller; someone who expresses not just your own feelings and emotions when you are singing. While singing, you express what the song is supposed to express in it's entirety and it's whole, painting a perfect picture by your voice.

You allow the thousands who follow you understand without reading the context and the emotions that the song is supposed to generate easily and perfectly.'

Emphasizing on his words, Keima turned to explain to Kanon, with the wind blowing behind him and a smile on his face.

'You are a true star, invoking feelings with your songs and letting your followers remember important feelings. Feelings that they might have neglected... reawakening the memory of their first love, their childhood and most importantly... the happiest days of their lives.'

Nodding her head slowly, Nakagawa Kanon found herself awestruck at his words as it was something she never once considered. She was a singer yes, an Idol yes... but most importantly, she was a performer... and she was always true with her feelings.

Perhaps that's why she found it difficult to explain why she wanted to sing so much. She simply wished to sing, to express her emotions and feelings... but was she singing because of the song like Keima had explained to her?

'But...'

She was uncertain as that was a new way of thinking for her to accept. She had always sang songs for herself, for she wished to gift the world with her voice... that was selfish yes, but if that was truly why she was singing, was she simply being narcissistic about her voice?

..

..

Seeming as though he continued to read her mind, Keima ran a hand through her hair, stroking her and petting her on the head to comfort her. But that was simply not enough... this idea was simply destroying her earlier way of life, was it not?

'You have always been doing that, Kanon...'

Raising her head abruptly to meet his, Kanon accidentally knocked her head against his face and the boy staggered a few steps back, creating some distance between the two of them as she stood rooted to the spot.

'This is not new to you... you wrote some of the songs yourself, right?'

Pulling out his PFP, Keima searched through the contents before playing one of her songs that she wrote herself.

'You're not just expressing yourself, your world... but the world of others. The composers, song writer's worlds... From your songs, one can see a piece of your life, of yourself as well as them... showing your audience what you wish to express through your songs alone. You do not even need to say a word... and you can inspire feelings of hope, understanding, love, and any emotion that you wish to invoke in others... you are a Star, Kanon... there is nothing to be embarrassed about in that.'

..

..

'No... I don't want to be like that... I... I know now... that I, I don't want to be like that...'

But that was not it, that was not what was worrying Nakagawa Kanon. She did not wish to be that, to be a 'Star' like what Keima described her to be. Not when she knew that this was his reason for not willing to be with her as it would be taking her from the masses.

Put simply, she did not wish to see him 'sacrifice' himself just for that purpose. She wanted so badly to be with him that she was willing to give all of that up if she could be with him.

Being granted a title that she did not want to be given and it would only slowly make who she really was, the real Nakagawa Kanon, to fade away as time goes by... and being a 'Star' meant that she would be very distant with the people that she wanted so much to connect with, especially her fans and Keima-kun.

'I'm not as great that you have to paint me in such a light, Keima-kun!'

Shaking her head and retreating from him, Kanon covered her ears as she refused to listen to him. She came here to remember why she fell in love with him, to remember how she felt, the feelings that made her feel like her body was burning up and how her heart beat so fast that she thought it was going to explode.

It made her so happy then and right now Keima was tainting the wonderful memories she had by him reminding him as to why he could not be with her!

Must the place where she had so many important and cherished memories be filled with the most terrible ones as well?

'I-I'm not! So please, please! Just stop it! Please stop telling me that I am the idol, Nakagawa Kanon! I'm more than that! I'm not simply an Idol or a singer, Keima-kun!'

'KANON!'

Hearing him cry out her name in warning, Kanon reacted a little too late as she had retreated a little too far and there was nowhere for her to go but down, down the stairs actually and she gave a small cry of surprise as she lost her footing on the flight of stairs.

..

..

'!"

But of course, befitting of his title as the Hero, Katsuragi Keima dashed forward, grabbing Kanon's hands at the last moment and pulling her back from the brink.

It might have been a little rough and painful for the poor girl but she did not mind as it was better than the alternative.

As right now she was sitting on Keima's lap, literally as their combined weights and the momentum in pulling Kanon back forced Keima to fall and sit down on the floor hard.

'D-daijobu desu ka, Keima-kun?'

'It's nothing...'

Wincing in pain, Keima tried his best to reassure the idol but she was having none of it, not when she could see it hurt quite a bit.

'But most importantly, finish what you were saying, Kanon. What are you, besides an idol and a singer?'

It was difficult for Kanon to say that, but she was a little surprised to see how calm Keima was. It was as if the whole conversation earlier was a ll a build up to this particular moment and Knon felt like she was being put through some test of some sort and she felt very nervous.

Yes, she, Nakagawa Kanon, the TopIdol who had been on countless interviews and performances was nervous about saying thing remarkably simple to the boy that she liked.

..

'I'm, just a normal, ordinary girl, that wished to be with the boy that she liked, Keima-kun... that's who I am...when I am with you, I don't want to be called a 'star' or an 'idol' or anything like that...

I'm just, Nakagawa Kanon... the ordinary high student together with Katsuragi Keima, the boy that I **like**...'

..

She held her breath as she admitted to him and she knew she passed the test when Keima closed his eyes and nodded to her in satisfaction.

'That's... the right answer.'

Wishing that she could be a little selfish, just for today, Kanon leaned forwarded towards his face, hoping that she could perhaps, get away with a small kiss when Keima took the initiative and gave her a small peck on the cheek first.

'!"

It was enough for the poor girl to turn cherry red and she actually passed out for a second at the outrageous gift that the **Capturing God** had bestowed on her.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

Spending the rest of their time together sitting in the grandstand and eating the food that Kanon had prepared for the first time since she became an idol, Nakagawa Kanon felt like she really was an ordinary girl.

It was an experience that scarred her and made her mad at Keima when they first met... But now she wouldn't give this experience away for anything in the world...

'Thank you, Keima-kun, for being with me today.'

She whispered to the boy silently as they took the bus back to town just when the light was fading with tears in her eyes.

Yes, she was crying as Keima told her that there was the distinct possibility that she would forget this again for the second time and the mere thought of that was sufficient to make the girl break down.

She did not wish to forget this, not when it has become such a comfort to her, to reassure her and to enable her to move on.

Not when she knew that Keima was sincere towards her, that his kindness to her was not just an act and definitely not because of her being an Idol,

But perhaps, the main reason for her to be upset and emotional was the fact that that Keima would be abandoned again and might be hated by all the girls for being who he really was.

..

..

'I... I'll never forget this, Keima-kun... even if I have to remind myself every day, every second...'

She stopped her babbling when Keima leaned down to rest his forehead against hers, telling her to stop and her not to worry.

'I know you won't, and that's why, out of all of the girls, I am always concerned about you.'

He stated with confidence and Kanon nodded with a sad and yet exhilarated feeling churning inside her.

Should she be happy, or sad at the declaration?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Reward me for my hardwork by giving me more work! Click the Review below~ Lastly, spoilers regarding the manga and the plot would be best PM-ed to me. Another thing to note. Please be polite as it is common courtesy no matter what the reason. If you wish to rant or rage, do it in the proper manner. Any improper language and I will do the necessary actions as I see fit.<br>**


	4. Beautiful Things

The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox

**Chapter 4: Beautiful Things**

**Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.**

..

..

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

**Written by: wrathie**

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Surprise surprise! Thank you, Kaiser dude for the beta-edit as always!<strong>

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><p><strong>..<strong>

**..  
><strong>

It was late evening before Keima returned home and he was greeted with a rude surprise in the form of Tsukiyo Kujyo waiting for him in the living room of his house alongside with her doll, Luna.

With an upset expression on her face, Kujyo was about to speak when Elsi popped up from behind her and waved energetically for him to come over to the two of them.

Although there were many other alternatives that could be chosen, like taking off for example, Keima did as he was told and went over to Elsi, where his sister immediately pulled him over to one side.

'Tsukiyo-san is quite upset.'

She whispered softly, looking over his shoulder to ensure that she couldn't overhear but it was simply stating the obvious, Elsi was unable to say more when Katsuragi Mari appeared from the kitchen and ordered them to join her there as well.

'Do you know her, Keima-kun?'

Looking at him seriously as he did as he was told, Katsuragi Mari started her interrogation as there had been no prior instance of anyone coming to their café and inquiring for him. This was the first occurrence and although Mari was excited and glad at the prospect, she saw areas for concern as well.

This girl, she looked remarkably young, perhaps younger than Keima and that fact was compounded by the presence of the doll beside her and her petite figure.

There was nothing wrong with her harbouring suspicions of Keima and his relationship with her.

'She's from school but she's from a different class.'

Keima could tell what she was suspecting and he shook his head as he reassured her.

'I'm not into young girls.'

'That didn't help much, Kami-Onii-sama...'

Even Elsi wasn't impressed as she sighed while explaining to Mari about their relationship with Tsukiyo Kujyo.

'Tsukiyo-san is our friend. Kami-Onii-sama helped her with something and she's here to return the favor, neh?'

Smiling her winning smile to placate Mari, it worked as Mari, although a little sceptical, found herself nodding her head at the two of them.

'So she's our guest for today, so Keima could you please set the table for three?'

Although there wasn't any reason to say that she was so, Mari seemed to have her mind made up as she rolled her sleeves up, determined to play the best hostess ever to the first ever girl friend that she knew Keima have.

'Kami-Onii-sama, you should go and speak to her. She has been around since the afternoon; it's very rude for you to keep her waiting like this... there was a schedule, right?'

'She wasn't supposed to be here today at all.'

Muttering back at her, Keima took comfort in the fact that he had placated three girls successfully so far and by placating Kujyo, he might possibly spared earlier than he imagined.

..

'Good evening, Kujyo.'

Calling her by her name, Keima was surprised when she did not react to the taunt and merely crossed her arms while acknowledging his greeting without any further fuss.

At the same time however, Keima knew that she probably had quite a lot of time to simmer down and to collect her thoughts before he returned and he was a little wary when she invited him to sit beside her on the family couch.

Elsi had explained that she had discovered Tsukiyo wandering around Cafe Grampa after lunch and had invited her to their home after she ascertained that this was indeed Keima's home.

'Good evening, Katsuragi.'

Greeting him coldly, Kujyo narrowed her eyes as Keima did in fact, sat beside her and the two of them were only separated by Luna. But that did not stop Kujyo from reaching out and pinching him in his thigh.

'That hurt.'

Keima retorted quietly as he pulled away from her, biting the tears of pain away to look at the petite girl, who seemed mildly surprised at his response.

'Good. That is what you deserve by making a lady like me wait for you. You should be glad that I did not ask for additional payment from you.'

Narrowing her eyes, Kujyo rested her hand on her knee as she crossed her legs as if she was all worn out by resting the whole afternoon.

'I'm not used to the fact that I have to speak to so many mortals. Why would you wish to live in a cafe, Katsuragi?'

Sniffing her nose, Keima realized that she had probably been waiting at the Cafe for a while till Mari realized that she was attracting too much attention from the paying customers.

Kujyo was obviously like a foreigner and someone who was as exotic and cute as her would surely have no end of potential suitors interested in chatting her up.

'Did you hurt anyone of them?'

Knowing that Kujyo was a little, scratch that, very vicious with her words, Keima could only imagine how disheartened some of the boys would be after being rejected or being put down by her.

She could really scar someone's life with words alone and she was perhaps, similar to the other ojou-sama, Aoyama Mio, in her viciousness.

The only difference was that Mio probably didn't mean most of her words and she said them as a defensive measure while Tsukiyo truly meant every word as she disliked reality and everyone around her.

Her mindset did change since her 'capture' and she did show a marked improvement simply by allowing Keima to sit beside her.

Even so, Keima was the exception; she could still be vicious to others who she does not respect, which is about everyone else.

If she would just expand that change to her behaviour to tolerate people, it would be perfect.

'Perhaps. I did not take well to their attempts to hit on me. If I recall, that is the right term to call that, am I not right?'

..

Smiling, Kujyo displayed some of that elegance that she had by smiling at him. She had a very unique smile compared to the other girls that he had 'captured' before. It was a good thing as well as a bad thing, that smile was obviously a fake one as it betrayed a hint of loneliness and detachment before.

However it had changed due to her 'capture' and this highlighted the amusement that Tsukiyo felt by putting those boys down and that made Keima shook his head slightly.

'That is accurate, but you could not blame them for trying. You are a very attractive individual.'

He was not trying to defend the boys but was merely testing the water here. It was quite difficult to gauge what Kujyo can be thinking at times.

It reminded him of how he captured her in the first place and Keima admitted that it was different as he had almost screwed that one up till the end.

..

Kujyo was not a tsundere, not a full-fledged one as she did express some tendencies of a Tsundere. However she did not actively dislike him or look down on him, at least visibly. Kujyo acknowledged his presence and tolerated him well.

Too well in fact and she accepted him easily as he had helped her expand the gap in her gap by fulfilling her dearest wish then.

He had not expected that and it was only in the end of his capture did his bet pay off while he pulled her from the brink of death.

If she had not discovered the ruse, would he be able to capture her so easily? He would never know...

It would have been disastrous if not for that leap of faith, quite literally as the both of them fell from the school roof top... if it was not for that act which showed his sincerity, he doubted that Kujyo would have accepted and confessed to him then.

He could attribute that to the adrenaline rush and state that she was touched when he proved he was dedicated enough to literally throw his life away to save hers.

..

'Oh yes I can. Is it not obvious that I have absolutely no interest in them at all? To associate myself with them would be degrading myself; they may try to flatter me with words or with their wealth by offering me drinks but if I am not interested, it would be better for the both of us if they are informed of the fact earlier, no?'

Can't fault with that argument at all but that did not mean Keima could not retort with a quick question.

'And you are fine with interacting with me?'

'Naturally you are different. You are indebted to me as well as willing to lay your life for me. I would be degrading myself even more if I refuse to associate myself with you. Dedication to a person is something to be admired, even if your list of virtues were indeed lacking for quite a while.'

Knowing that she referred to the fact that he had ditched her even before Spring Break started, Keima took heart that she still had some faith in him to not immediately punish him, which he knew that Aoyama Mio would be dying for a chance to.

The **Capturing God** cut to the chase and asked her why did she jumped the queue today.

'What other reason could there be? I wish to be reacquainted with you earlier. Is that a crime? Of course, I took the liberty of contacting the others as well. They have given me the rights and their blessing, even if I doubt that they have any right to stop me.'

Watching her sniff in discontent, Keima realize that unlike what she was showing, Kujyo was actually in quite a good mood as she had spoken with him for quite a while.

He was used to being her caretaker, providing for her every need and that had made him a little wary of her.

Anyone would be, especially so if you were treated just like a slave under her.

'You have not answered my question, Katsuragi, why do you live in a café?Iit does not seem like an ideal place to live in with so many people coming in and out...'

'It is my home; I've always lived here since I was young. Naturally the part of the Cafe is separated from the living quarters...'

'I see... it seemed that I have not gotten the grasp of the situation as much as I would have hoped. I do apologize, Katsuragi.'

Trying to cover up for her mistake, Kujyo flinched when Keima calmly took advantage of that chink in her armor.

'Therefore we are now even, I take it.'

Smirking, Keima was repeatedly struck by Kujyo as the petite girl frowned in discontent.

'I will not condone you speaking back to me like that!'

..

'Kujyo-san is staying for dinner, desho?'

Asking with a small smile on her face, Mari popped in to the two of them and watched with a bemused expression as Kujyo immediately sprang away from Keima, her face turning redder as Keima simply asked the same question.

'If you would have me, I would grace everyone with my presence.'

Being polite and not at the same time, Kujyo made Mari very confused when she nodded to Keima and not to Mari, making the **Capturing God** to answer in her behalf.

'That means she will.'

'I would be honoured to be able to join your table.'

Getting up, Tsukiyo curtsied to Mari after she realized that she was not displaying the right etiquettes, causing the older woman to smile back warmly in reply.

'Well, aren't you a nice and polite girl? Dinner will be ready in half an hour, do you wish to wash up?'

Nodding in affirmative, Mari led Kujyo away while asking Keima to set the table again.

'Like I said, Keima-kun, set the table!'

'Would you set one extra setting for Luna as well? I would wish for her to join us.'

Pointing to her doll, which Kujyo had taken with her, she smiled sweetly to help persuade Mari and the older woman surrendered surprisingly easily when faced with her smile, begging her for such a cute request that she snapped at Keima almost in reflex.

'You heard her, Keima-kun, set one extra setting for Luna-chan!'

Hoping that Kujyo would not continue to milk her 'advantage', Keima grudgingly agreed as he got up from the couch.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

Helping Elsi with the preparations, Keima was relieved to see that Mari had gotten Elsi a basic cookbook as well as a guide on local and foreign vegetables.

The day when he found out what Hell's Sugar was like was a day that would never leave is mind and with Mari's help, perhaps Elsi could one day, prepare normal dishes for him. One can only hope after all.

'Is Tsukiyo-san mad at you, Kami-Onii-sama?'

'No, she seems calm enough.'

'Is that so? But, Tsukiyo-san was scolding those boys that were trying to talk to her... she made some of them cry.'

Describing the tense situation that Kujyo had gotten herself into, Keima could not help but sigh again at her worsening attitude towards others. At least she was polite to Mari and Elsi, perhaps she just dislikes men in general?

'Either way, do you remember what she said when she came over, Elsi?'

Grabbing a couple of plates, Keima nodded when Elsi recited what Kujyo had said to her when she found her.

_'I'm here to look for Katsuragi. He said that he'll show me something beautiful. I wish to see that today.'_

..

Rubbing his chin, Keima considered the possibilities while Elsi looked on expectantly. He was the **Capturing God** after all and in a few minutes he whispered softly to Elsi's delight.

'I've seen the ending. It's quite straightforward.'

Something must have gone wrong at Kujyo's life for her to break a previous agreement and to turn up out of the blue like this. She was a proud individual and would not allow herself to be degraded to... mingle with people like Mari or Elsi. Normally that is.

If something have happened, it would possibly give Kujyo a reason to do just that and if we narrow it down to the things that can affect her...

During her previous 'capture', Keima knew that Kujyo disliked beings who were not 'perfect', typically people other than her and Luna and wished to head to the moon.

It was a difficult scenario to make sense of, but from his experience, her negative attitude towards everyone must have come from a source.

Probably form her past... and thus he can reasonably deduce that it was due to internal family issues or scars from her childhood that caused her to develop such an attitude towards others.

It was the most general stereotype and it was sad to say that it applies to real-life as well.

Therefore, there was only one that the he could show her and share with her that could satisfy her.

Anything else or less would only serve to disappoint her.

Once again, his previous showing and promise was like a double-edged sword, forcing his hand to do things that he wouldn't have usually done for her, let alone anyone else.

'Be natural, Elsi, that is all that you need to do. Treat her like you would treat your friends.'

He told Elsi, who simply nodded her head slowly, wondering what he meant by that. Was it as simple as that?

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

Dinner took a while as after investigating the cause of her appearance, the siblings found Mari slaving away at the kitchen like a person possessed while Kujyo just sat there quietly waiting for her food.

It was thankful that Mari did not seem to mind at all, she was too happy at the prospect of really having time to meet Keima's friend and Keima believed that Kujyo could ask for delights from both land and sea without complaint from Mari at all.

'Dig in everyone!'

Beaming happily as Mari started dinner, Mari encouraged Kujyo to try her dishes and gauging from the expression on her face, her eyes wide with shock and confusion, not to mention how apprehensive she was in trying them out and they were all new to her.

Was that a sign of how pampered she was? At any rate, she seemed quite happy in experimenting with the food and Keima breathed a sigh of relief as it showed that the 'ending' that he saw was at least in the right direction.

Dinner was a lively affair with plenty of conversations over the table, mainly from Mari as she asked Kujyo about how she met Keima and Elsi.

Thankfully for the two of them, Tsukiyo was discreet and just casually mentioned that it was like what they mentioned earlier.

'I was in Katsuragi's care. He helped me with something that I was unable to accomplish by myself. Therefore I am grateful to him for lending his experience and expertise in that matter.'

Tsukiyo's eyes twitched a little when she said that and Keima had to hide the small grin that grew on his face as he could imagine how painful it must be for her to admit that to someone else.

'I see. That's the first time that I've heard Keima-kun volunteering to help someone else before...'

Frowning a little, Mari's eyes narrowed mischievously as Kujyo seemed to have triggered a response from Mari due to her reply.

'So, I guess Keima-kun does prefer someone like Kujyo-chan after all? It's so easy to like someone as elegant and pretty like you. You're totally unlike Keima-kun after all? What was it again? That opposites attract, hmm?'

Her well worded remark left Kujyo coughing as she was in the midst of swallowing but surprisingly Keima did not even seemed bothered as he continued with dinner with nary a pause. Chewing and swallowing, Keima replied in a short but precise sentence.

'I'm not a loli-con.'

That didn't help, Kami-onii-sama.'

Elsi's response almost seemed to be rehearsed as she rested her head on the table in resignation, almost comically too as she smiled at her family members.

Kujyo however was less than graceful as she tried to make out the right words desperately by herself.

'It is not like that! T-there is nothing in common between us at all!'

Answering at long last, Kujyo's face was as red as cherry as she tried to deny the association but she couldn't help herself looking at Keima to gauge his response at her words.'

'Isn't that what Ohka-sama meant?'

Elsi added innocently with a sly smile and this caused Tsukiyo to wriggle about in her seat for a moment before regaining control of herself by taking a deep breath.

'Even so... there is nothing of that sort going on between the two of us.'

Crossing her arms and nodding to herself, Kujyo was naturally convincing herself as well as the other two women simply nodded to themselves, knowing that she was just in denial.

..

..

Dinner resumed in silence, the four of them going back to the dinner which Mari had cooked with love and with Mari's constant urging to try all the dishes, Kujyo was naturally compelled to do just that even if that meant that she was stuffed before dinner ended.

Leaning against the back of her chair, Kujyo covered her mouth as she looked a little green, her having eaten a tad too much for her liking and yet, she was strangely satisfied as well.

With a small smile on her face, Kujyo looked on in interest as Mari spoke with Eli about the juices and sauces that she used to marinate the meat today and how Keima seemed to have drifted to his own world as he was playing his games over the table.

Even if she or Keima was not part of the conversation, she felt happy at being there, to have witnessed and experienced something like this.

Even if it was something normal, something that happened every day, Kujyo found it to be an experience that she will never forget.

How many years has it been since she was able to enjoy dinner like this?

One might say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but dinner was just as important in that aspect.

Amidst the bustling and busy day that everyone leads, breakfast and dinner were the times that everyone in the family would be able to sit together and be a... family.

Just by being invited to dinner together with the Katsuragis, Kujyo felt that deeply and she smiled to herself as she looked at her doll, Luna sitting beside her.

..

Ordinarily she would have spoken or pampered Luna even during dinner but for the first time in several years, Kujyo had not even paid Luna any attention, nor even held her in her hands for the whole duration of dinner.

It felt odd, but Kujyo felt that she did not mind the change and even felt a little relieved at her doing so.

Besides Katsuragi Keima, it was the first time in ages that someone had asked her how she was doing, consulted her opinion or seemed genuinely concerned for her well being and to make things even more surprising, they came from complete strangers.

Katsuragi Elsi was the first to notice her presence in the cafe after her well-chosen words caused several people to leave the cafe in a hurry but instead of berating her, she was instead more concerned over her well being, allowing Elsi to lead her to their home for 'refuse' without much worry.

There were precious few that could do that and by doing so, Elsi proved to the world that all Kujyo wished for was someone who cared for her.

That message was further emphasized when Mari was able to get her to stay for dinner with a few simple words and a heart-felt request to her.

Yes, Katsuragi Keima's presence as well as her own predicament was perhaps a key factor as to why she accepted their invitation but even so, Kujyo accepted because of exactly how Mari asked her to stay.

It was another first and despite all that has happened, Kujyo herself did not change. She was thorny in the outside and empty in inside, waiting to be filled up by someone, anyone at all and it seemed that the Katsuragis were able to do so.

..

'Beautiful, isn't it?'

Kujyo was pulled out of her daydream by a comment from Keima and she slowly nodded her head in response to his statement.

Even if he did not specify what he was describing or speaking about, Kujyo knew instinctively what he was speaking of as she was used to Keima being able to read minds.

He always did know what she was thinking, what she wanted to hide from him and what she truly desired. So it doesn't seem unlikely that Keima would mirror her thoughts.

'That is one of the things that I can show you, things that are not just beautiful, but meaningful as well. Things that you can never experience by yourself... things that can only be achieved with someone else.'

He never wavered, his eyes glued to his screen and yet seemingly soaking in the experience just by being present.

To him, it did not matter whether he was involved in the conversation, whether he was in the middle of the action... just as long as he was invited, he was part of this thing that was called a family, he was satisfied.

Kujyo might not belong to this family or even has a family that can be described like this, but she can be invited to it if she wished.

She could really be a part of this family if she wishes, or at least, try to be a part of this family.

The Katsuragi household really was something beautiful, something that she couldn't have but could briefly be part of.

That is the beautiful part of it, that was perhaps what Keima was showing to her and it was indeed so.

..

He has seen the ending, giving her something that she would truly want and appreciate, that is what the **Capturing God** is capable of and what he has already done for her.

No, it was more beautiful than what Kujyo had imagined as it brought her back to her childhood days, where she could spend time with her family just like this.

Just thinking about that made tears appear in her eyes, forming slowly yet surely despite her trying to resist the urge to cry.

Those tears were never shed... no, they were shed; Kujyo just thought that she never needed to shed them again.

Tears, they were not beautiful, they stained the skin, stained one's clothes and symbolized that something... is lost, something important is missing.

But today, Kujyo was crying, no sniffing, no, releasing what should have been released long ago. The wish that she wished for so long was granted, at least partially by the **Capturing God**, the person who said that he would do so.

He was really a surprising character and despite coming here to find an answer, she truly did not expect to find one here, today and of all the places, in his home.

Kujyo wanted a family, wanted a place where she could feel that she belonged... even if it was imperfect, it would not matter if others around her accepted her as perfect in that exact way.

'… Really, this is a very beautiful thing that you showed me, Katsu... No... Keima.'

She changed her words at the last moment and Kujyo smiled at him before getting up.

..

..

'Oh, are you leaving, Kujyo-chan?'

'Yes, it would be rude for me to impose on you much longer, Mari-san.'

Bowing and curtsying to her, Kujyo picked up Luna and after hesitating for a moment, continued.

'Thank you for having me... I truly enjoyed myself. If I may be selfish, I would hope that I would have the opportunity to have dinner with all of you again.'

Pushing her chair back in, Kujyo hesitated when she passed by Keima's seat and in a moment of impulse, mumbled to herself.

'I suppose you deserved a reward as well.'

Before anyone could react, Kujyo pushed Luna towards Keima and made the doll kiss him in the cheek quickly before pulling her back.

'Be honoured, that is Luna-chan's first kiss'

Kujyo mentioned with reddening cheeks as she headed towards the door with Elsi leading the way and at the doorstep, she spoke with Elsi in private before heading off.

'This is a good place.'

'Yes it is, I really like it here~'

'Would it be possible for me to spend some time here in the afternoon as well?'

Blanching at her request, Elsi nonetheless recovered and mentioned that there are private booths in Cafe Grampa as well.

'Then it is settled.'

Another smile graced Kujyo's lips as she took her leave just as quietly and mysteriously as she had come.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Like what Kaiser dude said, WAFF. but I think it turned out better than I imagined it to be.<strong>


	5. Courage

The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox

**Chapter 5: Courage**

**Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.**

..

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

**Written by: wrathie**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: I'm on a role with BRP for some reason... anyway, thank you <em>Kaiser Dude for the beta-edit as always!<em>**

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

Perhaps it was fortunate that some of the girls were determined to schedule their meeting with him in specific times as he was able to catch a breather on Sunday.

It was merely two days after the girls sprang that surprise on him and it had taken a great toll on him.

Sure, he was physically fine but he wasn't sure if that physical state could continue, especially when there were the likes of Aoyama Mio, Takahara Ayumi and Kosaka Chihiro just around the corner.

In retrospect, the three of them were not as physically strong as Kasuga Kusonoki but they were certainly more prone and willing to use violence as a way to get their point across.

Takahara Ayumi aside, who Keima knew can be quite a sweet girl at times, the three of them were still one of the more violent individuals, capable of inducing severe pain and agony with their fits of embarrassment.

Despite the universal law stating that everyone liked to be praised, with the three tsundere girls complimenting them would carry a chance of him being injured to their natural reflexive actions.

As the **Capturing God** he knew that it was low to use that as an excuse so he had to bear with it for as long as he could.

However, It was enough for him to worry about his own physical state in the near future before even meeting with them. Another factor to consider was that his stamina and patience was waning with each 'encounter'' or date, there was no break in between for him and it was only by sheer luck that he had the Sunday morning free.

No, there was no such thing as luck... was the next person sparing some thought for him? Either way, he might have to thank the next girl who had 'booked' him for the afternoon.

Besides giving him a chance to catch up on his games, which he was doing so with the aid of a small sandwich that Elsi had provided him earlier that night, it gave him time to consider and reflect about what the next girl wanted from him.

The girl that had always been someone who was unique in her position in relation to him; the junior, Ikoma Minmi.

..

Their standing was totally different as they were a few years apart and unlike the rest of the girls, Ikoma Minami had been the one that was 'chasing' after him all the while till the final capture.

Their position was unique and it would remain so even after her 'capture'.

'…'

Looking up from his games for a moment, Keima wondered what Minami would want to do together with him today.

From her earlier confession alongside Takahara Ayumi, he wasn't too worried as she seemed to be more embarrassed than anything else. She was a good girl, a quiet and well-mannered girl who was very active in her class despite not standing out in the looks department.

She was like the girl-next-door, only she was a little too insignificant for that as well.

She probably wouldn't want them to anything too 'dramatic'. Hopefully anyway...

'Good morning, Kami-onii-sama...'

Yawning as she greeted him, Elsi rubbed her eyes as she looked at the clock, which read 6am before asking him what he was doing.

'Be quiet, I'm focusing here.'

Snapping at her for failing to recognize his occupation, Keima's mood worsened as Elsi plopped herself beside him and asked him about his plan for today.

..

'Minami is asking me out today in the afternoon.'

Reporting gruffly after acknowledging that Elsi wasn't leaving unless she got an answer, Keima refused to be wavered or baited when Elsi remarked that it was rare for him to call anyone by their name instead of formally by their family name.

'She is my junior after all... it would be odd for me to call her in that way, wouldn't it?'

He answered without hesitation, almost as if he had rehearsed it beforehand.

'Not really, I think it's more common for others to use their family name unless they are very close to each other desho? Ayumi-chan and Chihiro-chan call me Elly but I prefer Elsi-chan more, hehe~~ anyway, that hasn't stopped Kami-Onii-sama before had it? Maybe she's someone special to Kami-onii-sama after all?'

Elsi was getting sharper and perhaps a little more cleverer; perhaps she was really rubbing off of him? Either way it would normally be a welcome change but just like how the world likes to work against him, Elsi managed to connect the dots on the one issue he rather she not broach.

'Besides Minami-chan you've only called me, Ayumi-chan and Haqua by our names... I think...'

Staring at him and making a 'chii-' sound, Elsi felt like she was on the verge of a breakthrough as she scooted herself closer to Keima even as the **Capturing God** seemed to favor silence as his answer.

She always felt odd about how Keima treated Minami; there was something different about how he captured her as she had seen so many different sides of him.

..

Unlike Ayumi or most of the other girls who knew about his reputation, Keima did not bother to try and correct their perception of him. In fact, he seemed to be happy to let them know how he was really like.

Ordinarily that would be a major turn-off and even Elsi admitted that she was very disappointed in many of her Kami-Onii-sama's bad habits but despite all that, Minami did not give up on him.

Sure he was odd but it was just like how Keima had expected to happen, Ikoma Minami's curiosity got the better of her and she was able to look past his faults to have a sneak peek at who he really was deep inside.

Out of all the girls, who can boast of that feat besides Elsi and Haqua, who was 'supposed' to know all about him due to their mission.

The list would probably dwindle down to Yoshino Asami and Ikoma Minami, the former having such knowledge due to her having a severe crush on Keima and thus probably glimpsing his true nature after being interested in him.

Was his method to capture Minami an extension of his own message that he was sending to the world? That he has no use for anyone else in the world who cannot even look through the wall that he had built around him as the **Capturing God.**

Yes, he was probably a God in his own realm and the few followers that does follow his path... but in reality, was he just lonely and simply rebelling against the world that rejected him and his ideals?

Elsi didn't know... but she knew that was still a possibility... even if she herself cannot begin to fathom how deep that wound was.

'Well... it's not a bad thing if she really is something special, Kami-onii-sama... I like Minami-chan too and it's great that you found someone that was willing to look past everything else.'

Mature words from Elsi and Keima paused for a moment, seemingly considering nodding his head in affirmative when he just shrugged while retorting.

'Does it matter at all?'

In reality however, Keima was a little taken aback that it was Elsi out of all people to raise that point to him. Not Haqua or Mari, but Elsi...

'It does, Kami-Onii-sama... you know, I won't... no, I can't be with you forever...'

Keima detected some melancholy in her voice and he looked up to see Elsi looking at him intently, it was rare to see her so serious and Keima put down his PFP to listen to her.

..

'It's important... because I would have to go eventually. I know that, and I hope that you remember that... I know I'm always a burden to Kami-Onii-sama... but I made a promise to Mari-sama, Oka-sama to look after Kami-Onii-sama.'

She sounded wistful and Keima could see that she was fighting desperately not to cry, traces of tears welling up in her eyes as she continued to stare at him. Was she afraid that he would not listen to her at all?

Although her fears were not unfounded, he wouldn't... do that to her.

The complex relationship web that was weaved between family members, especially those of the opposite gender were always confusing and Keima refused to get involved in it. It was inevitable that Elsi would feel a little awkward about other girls if they were interested in him and he wondered would he be the same if Elsi found a suitor as well.

The instant he thought that was the same time that he had to struggle to toss that thought away while a wave of murderous rage took hold of him for a split second.

'So, even if it's sad... but knowing that there is someone out there that understands and accepts Kami-onii-sama for who he is... it makes me feel happier too, that's all...'

Finishing a little lamely, Elsi was surprised when Keima sighed and reached out to ruffle her hair softly and it was enough for her to lower her head while rubbing her eyes to stop herself from crying in front of him.

As she spoke her thoughts out loud, she felt her chest tighten at remembering or realizing what would eventually happen. She was just assigned here, not... transferred here and there would be a time where she would have to say her goodbyes.

Would she have to wipe their memories before she go? She hoped not... just thinking about that made her chest hurt like her heart was being squeezed... it would be cruel for her if they were to do that... and she rather not know it had happened at all if they did that.

They were her family after all, a part of her family in the Demon World and she would rather they remember her as such.

The gesture wasn't much but Keima was really renowned for his willingness to show his emotion with actions, much less physical ones and it made Elsi turn a little red at the implications.

Keima will never say outright that he would miss Elsi. It was too cheesy for him and honestly, he'll be glad to get rid of Elsi in the first place.

She was a nuisance, part of the world's plan to dethrone him as the **Capturing God** and she was no doubt a system bug or error as well, a bug in system that did not work the way it was supposed to.

Still, Elsi had brought about a few positives in his and Mari's life and it was only due to that that made Keima have a small soft spot for the girl that he now considered his sister.

..

She had tried her best to fulfill the three elements of being a sister after all and there was no reason for him to deny that he would miss a sister, even if the said sister was Elsi.

'Do you need coffee, Kami-onii-sama? I'll help make some.'

Sensing that the atmosphere was getting a little awkward, Elsi excused herself while Keima nodded in reply. She was truly and really growing up, learning to read the mood was important as well and Keima smiled briefly before allowing his thoughts to drift away, consider Ikoma Minami all over again.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Good afternoon, Katsuragi sempai!'

Shaking nervously as she ran towards him, Minami tripped suddenly and it was up to keima to steady her and prevent her from falling face first into the pavement.

It was so clique but Keima bore with it as Minami was rendered speechless even as a crimson hue spread across her face at being in such close contact with Keima.

The girl was embarrassed and she should be as she managed to steady herself back on her own feet after Keima let go of her. The two of them agree to meet at the mall today as Minami wanted to do some window shopping with him at her side. It was a date, a real one and Minami had stressed that upon Keima as the two of them made their plans in private.

Yes, the normally shy and quiet Ikoma Minami had verbally stressed as such to him as best as she could with pleading eyes and an equally pitiful pose, leaving Keima no choice but to grant her that wish.

Back to topic, the girls had the right to demand something from Keima and by a general consensus, the agreement would be made in private between the two of them and the two of them only.

That meant that all of the girls did not know what the others were planning and thank god for that, the last thing he needed was for the gaggle of girls to spy on each other.

Another thing worth mentioning was that he had not agreed on anything with Aoba and Haqua, the two girls and their earlier bout happened just because Haqua was visiting Elsi... and well, things were complicated as it is without making it even worse.

..

'Good afternoon, Minami.'

Hearing him call her name, Minami lowered her head briefly once again before raising it back up in excitement.

'Hai! Good afternoon sempai! Shall we be going now?'

Dressed in her casual clothes, Minami was wearing a white spaghetti strap top together with a decent length mini-skirt that highlighted that Minami was still a conservative girl at heart.'

'Of course.'

Keima made no indication that he would ask her where they would be going and the gesture made Minami smile in relief. She really had no specific plans on where they are going or what they were going to do but she figured that they could just spend the afternoon together.

Their last 'date' at the festival had been too short and she wanted to spend more time with him to know him and to see more sides of him.

The more she knew about Keima, the more she wanted to know about him and the cycle continues indefinitely and due to the difference in age, she had to make up for her lack of knowledge in more direct approaches.

Minami did not know whether Keima was acting the whole time he was with her or if he was just being polite...

Keima was a gentleman after all as despite all that have happened between him and the girls, he has never done anything deliberate to hurt them, generally at least.

Most importantly though, Minami wanted to find an answer to a question that was bugging and bothering her for a very long time.

..

The two of them spent some time browsing at the shops in the mall, with Minami leading the way and the two of them stopped by a pet shop as Minami bent down to look at the pets on display.

'They are so cute...'

Minami cooed at the hamsters and puppies that were placed at the ship window, probably there to attract customers while Keima looked on in mild amusement.

He himself did not know why he viewed Minami as different, the girl was nothing spectacular and she was as normal as Chihiro, only quieter.

He has no preference as to whether someone was energetic or quiet but generally the quieter the girl was, the more he would have to make up for that lack of conversation between the two of them.

Relationships are built on trust and understanding and to achieve that, they have to converse and to speak with each other.

Now Keima is the **Capturing God** as well as the _Magician of Words_ and he has utmost confidence in his ability to hold a conversation. It was part and parcel of his primary occupation after all but it isn't the same if he was to be the one who fills in most of the conversation.

He has no idea how Minami felt towards him, much less what her expectations towards him were and it made him feel inadequate.

It was easy to see the ending of Kujyo before but it was difficult to learn or to see anything just from Minami's actions as she has the tendency to hide most of her actions from him. The difficult situation was made worse when one considered how he had chosen to isolate Minami and as it was a double-edged sword, it made them both somewhat similar to strangers or at best casual friends.

The ending was clear to him, she had confessed to him after all but the middle, the body of the story was unknown to him and it was impossible to secure a true 'capture' or at least, the true 'ending' without knowing why she fell for him in the first place.

What was Ikoma Minami's story here?

..

'Could we go in please, Sempai? I want to have a closer look at the puppies please.'

Minami was looking like a puppy herself, her eyes shining with anticipation and Keima nodded his head without hesitation.

The pet shop was popular, probably due to the shrewd and effective marketing plan by the management as it was quite crowded and Keima had to squeeze past an energetic pair that had their faces pressed against a cage of a very excited puppy.

'Do you like animals, Minami?'

Asking out of the blue a few minutes after the two of them wandered around the shop inspecting and generally playing around with the animals, Minami blinked at the question and she looked up from the cage of rabbits that she was peering at.

'… I do, they are cute... but I don't think I can... no, I should ever have a pet for myself.'

'Why not?'

A statement that was confusing as Minami looked like she would love to have a pet for herself, judging by the way she looked at all the cute little animals fondly.

'… I suppose I'm just not cut out for one... I'm, I'm very easily distracted you see...'

She blushed a little as she realized that she had grabbed hold of Keima's hands as she led him through the pet shop, something that he allowed her to do.

'I believe... that I'm not a very responsible person...'

Minami continued slowly as she reached out to poke a finger through a cage before giving a small cry of pain as the budgie pecked her finger in response.

She giggled too as she held her finger, turning back to look at Keima with wondering eyes as she explained.

'I... am led by my emotions.. aren't I, sempai?'

The **Capturing God** didn't reply, he had to think through his answer carefully as Minami just shrugged, not minding the lack of a response before dragging him out of the pte shop and into the streets again.

'Let's go to that shop next, sempai!'

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

The day was tiring, not physically as he had expected but rather mentally as he believed there were heaps of hidden clues in Minami's actions that he had missed. It was not that Minami was deliberately trying to drop hints, she was too honest to do that and instead she was doing so unconsciously.

What was frustrating him was that they were so subtle and slight that he could not put the connections together.

They visited many places together, a boutique where Minami had tried on several swimsuits for Keima to choose from, much to his surprise as he had not imagined she would even dream of pulling that stunt on him.

..

_'How does... this look, sempai?'_

_Blushing as she held up a white swimsuit for him to look at, Minami tilted her head slightly as Keima asked her what she was shopping for today._

_'What do you mean, sempai? I'm shopping for swimsuits now.'_

_'For what purpose, Minami? For school or for your own personal use?'_

_'Erm... f-for my personal use...'_

_Minmi confirmed his suspicions when she turned even redder and Keima sighed while the boutique assistant looked at them curiously._

_She had teased Minami about bringing her boyfriend along, that meant that Minami was a regular customer or at least, a person that she was familiar with._

_Keima couldn't imagine himself owning more than a single swimsuit but since she was in the swimming club, perhaps she has use for so many?_

_'I... want to wear it... for Katsuragi-sempai.'_

_It was his turn to turn red as try as he might, he could not help but imagine Minami wearing that swimsuit and posing for him. Curses, so he had unwittingly allocated some CGs to her as well?_

_With steam coming out of hers, figuratively of course, Minami bit her lip as she looked to Keimai, hoping, willing him to say something to help the situation._

_'I'm sure that Minami would look good in anything you choose.'_

_Choosing the easiest and slickest reply, Keima breathed easier when Minami simply blushed at his compliment._

_'Thank you.. I... I think, ahaha...'_

_Laughing nervously, Minami hurried off to pick a few more suits and leaving Keima in his own devices._

..

_'Is she a regular here?'_

_Striking up a conversation with the boutique owner, Keima hoped to gain a few more clues about Minami and he was rewarded with a nod._

_'Yes she is. Minami-chan is one of our most regular customers, she likes to change swimsuits as you can see.'_

_Pointing to the return policy on the store, the owner smiled as she looked at Minami in the distance, the girl was pulling out swimsuit after swimsuit to try on._

_'We aren't like the usual stores, we specialize in swimsuits after all and we have a unique return policy. It's not unusual to see Minami-chan to purchase and exchange up to 10 different swimsuits in month.'_

_'I assume it's good advertisement for the store as well, am I accurate in my assumption?'_

_Keima smiled as the owner nodded, almost disappointed that their marketing plan was exposed so easily._

_It was however quite possible that with Minami's preference for the store, they were able to obtain a huge chunk of sales from Mai-High's swimming club._

_Forming a regular customer base is always important and despite the cleaning costs and the other hidden costs for their return policy, they were able to capitalize on Minami's habit of changing swim suits very often._

_'I see... I think, I've seen the ending.'_

_The boutique owner blinked in confusion as Keima spoke aloud to himself all of a sudden but she was interrupted from asking further when Keima was called over by Minami to look at a few of the swimsuits that she had picked out._

_'W-what... do you think, sempai?'_

_This would suit your skin more.'_

_His comment made both Minami and the boutique owner blink in surprise as his comment was very valid, pointing at a particular shade that complimented Minami well._

_'H-hai, then what about this?'_

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

After the whole ordeal of choosing clothes, Minami and Keima were sipping tea in a small cafe that Minami had wanted to try and just like how he ad expected her to do so, in front of Minami were many assorted cakes that he had ordered in her behalf.

Yes, he had ordered for her as she had been undecided for 15 minutes till he had to make that decision for her. He had been the perfect gentleman, paying for the swimsuits as well as any other expenses that they might have incurred.

One key example would be the ice-cream that they had prior to their foray into the swimsuit boutique and in hindsight, Keima

should have seen the 'ending' then.

They had taken a small bite out of each other's ice-cream and while it might seem to be a very romantic or clique thing for couples to do, Keima had to point out that they were not a couple, at least not yet and this highlighted the key point of her 'story' and 'archetype'.

'… Minami.'

Calling her softly as the girl was lost in her thoughts after sipping her tea, Minami nodded in reply as Keima prodded her with his finger.

'I'm sorry; would you please repeat that again, sempai?'

Smiling in apology, Minami was taken aback when Keima crossed his arms and demanded an answer from her.

..

'What is your motive today, Minami?'

'M-motive...? What-what are you talking about, sempai?'

'… you... are having cold feet about today, aren't you?'

They were on a date and yet not on a date at the same time, there were times when it was clear to the both of them that Minmi was scoring points and could possibly deepen their relationship with each other by telling more about themselves. For example in the swimsuit boutique, Minami could have advanced the 'scene' by simply changing into the swimsuit and showing it to him.

Even if she was a conservative girl, there was really no reason for her NOT to do so as she was trying to impress Keima.

Yes, it was a cheap trick and yes, it might be clique to try to tempt Keima with her body but there was no harm in doing so.

Like they all say: 'All's fair in love and war' and she should logically pull out all the stops for him.

In fact, Keima might question whether Minami was interested in him at all if she didn't. One's body is precious and to... willingly show that to the other party would mean that she was really serious in wishing Keima to be her other half.

That was why the entire afternoon had not added up, there were times were events should have taken place, like in the pet shop, a perfect time for her to reveal more about herself, her personality or for her to prod him to reveal more did not happen.

It was not that he selected the wrong option but rather Minami had not given him the option to select at all.

No to mention how Minami seemed to be in a hurry all the time, window shopping was more on her mind than a normal conversation. This was supposed to be a date, right? She had stressed that upon him at the start.

In all of the instances above, Minami has failed to showcase herself or made any attempts towards Keima, hence his question to her.

What was her motive? He, the **Capturing God** already has an answer but he rather her tell him herself, if not... he would have to answer on her behalf.

..

'I... … I...'

Minami stammered, unable to say a word or to form the proper sentences for her to reply.

So he'd have to do it the hard away then?

'You're worried are you not, Minami? I understand that you might be worried... it is as you said before; you are led by your feelings. The curiosity that you have of me, the excitement of the first date that we went together during Matsuri and in many other circumstances, you fear that your feelings might not have been true... does that sum it up, Minami?'

Keima looked at her evenly as the girl's jaw dropped in surprise at how he had read Minami so easily just as if she was an open book.

'Katsuragi-sempai... g-gomen...'

Minami started to apologize as she lowered her head, pushing her drink away in the process.

'I... I just wondered... whether I... I should give up... you know, Katsuragi-sempai has so many other... girls around sempai, like Kanon-chan or Kusonoki-sempai, all of them are better than Minami... so... I just, I just...-!'

'Why did you give up before even trying?'

Keima's question startled her but Minami shook her head as she replied.

'T-there's no need for you to comfort me, sempai... I, I... know I'm not good enough, a-and it's like what you said... I'm... I'm worried, I'm afraid of trying... be-because... what if I... didn't really like sempai... in the first place? I... I don't know, I don't know at all...'

Minami finally blurted that out as Keima backed off a little, fearful of agitating the girl in front of him as she ran her hand through her messy hair agonizingly slowly, almost as if she wanted to pull all her hair off in one go.

'W-what if I was lying to myself? Wh..what if it was just... on a moment of impulse? What if... all I felt for you was admiration and... not love.. I.. I couldn't face myself... or the other sempais if that was true... I know all of them really, really like you, sempai... and it... wasn't fair that I... who doesn't know what I feel for you to take up your time... I just... can't bear that thought, sempai...'

'So that's why you wanted a date today, to find out whether your feelings for me are real, is that right?'

Keima finished her sentence for her as Minami slowly nodded her head.

'I... I don't really know what is love... and like what sempai said... I'm always... led by my emotions... I'm a very narrow minded person... so, so... I'm so sorry sempai...'

Minami suddenly got up and would have bolted if not for Keima grabbing her arm and getting up along with her to stop her.

Holding her hand, Keima pulled her closer to him and slowly made her sit on his lap, his head reaching out to try and smooth her messy hair once again.

It was a very intimate act, the most intimate he has gotten to Minami the whole day, even if it was not intimate at all compared to what Kanon had gotten away with a few days ago.

..

'What do you feel about me now, Minami?'

Keima asked her slowly, patiently and warmly even as Minami's face turned crimson again, looking around the cafe to see muffled smiles and wolf-whistles from everyone else.

'I-I... I don't know, sempai! p-please let me go...!'

She wriggled a little but Keima did not let her go, instead he squeezed her a little more, his hands wrapping around her waist in the process.

'Minami... love is something that is different from like. Liking someone and loving someone is totally different. Even I myself do not know who I truly love. But someone you love is important, it can be said to be more important than yourself. However, liking someone is unique; it is something that is unique to everyone as there is more than one reason or way to like someone.

So... Minami, I want to ask you this, what do you like about me? As with all processes, it all begins with something, for example... I like Minami because of her imagination. You might be led by your emotions, but your imagination was what brought you to me and for that, I thank you and I like that part of you.'

It was a moment before Minami replied as she bit her lip, spending quite some time trying to think and if Keima did not know that she was very timid and confused at the moment he would be a little offended at the lack of response that his confession had garnered.

'I like Katsuragi-sempai's warmth interior... even if you seem to be cold outside, you've very kind and gentle in the inside, just like you are now.'

Her face flushed red, Minami smiled shyly as Keima continued.

'Is that the truth, or is that spur of the moment decision, Minami?'

'That is the truth or is that a spur of the moment decision, Minami?'

'That... is the truth, sempai, I really like that part about you.'

Minami nodded as an answer and that made Keima to give a smile back as a reply, releasing his hold on her but Minami did not leave her at all, seemingly resigned or wanted to be as close as she could to him after all after she calmed down.

'Then we can say that you like me... that is a start, Minami. You might not love me, but you do like me and that might in time turn to love as well. If you are uncertain, let us continue listing down the things that we like about each other.'

..

..

They spent the next half an hour talking and exchanging views on why they liked each other. From Keima we had the clique but relevant gems like how he liked Minami for her outlook in life, her dedication to her swimming, her resolute determination to get what she wanted as well as her judgement of people.

It was quite easy for Keima as he was the **Capturing God** after all but it was difficult for Minami and they had to wait for quite a while before she could come up with her own list.

'I like sempai's confidence, how sempai could say every word... make every decision based on his own conviction and not waver afterwards!...

Sempai's... erm... I... I.. ah! How sempai is empathetic, sempai always seem to know what we are thinking but doesn't choose to ignore it, how sempai... tries his best to make things... easier for others... like now...

I know... sempai's inner strength... sempai's determination to keep us safe as sempai... likes us too.'

It was a long and tedious process but to Keima, it was necessary as Minami was building her confidence by this exercise as well.

'So... after all that, what do you think, Minami? You might... be led astray by your emotions but what is your emotions telling you right now?'

'That... I really like you, Katsuragi sempai... it is like you said, it... might not be love, but it could be in the future... or when I figure out, what is love myself... I can't deny the fact.. that I do value sempai more than anything else in the world.'

Isn't that love itself? Keima laughed a little at her answer but he kept quiet at that, for to him, Minami and all the girls were something important as well. He had saved them and he felt... responsible for them, perhaps more as he valued all of them just as much as himself and so he couldn't criticize or comment on Minami's answer.

'I didn't know what to think before... and I was really afraid... that I couldn't match up... to all the other sempais... but now I know that I... I can't just give up... and I'll never forgive myself if I just gave up now, so sempai...'

Getting up from her seat, Minami pointed a finger at him while declaring.

'I... I will make sempai fall in love with me too! It might not be now, or soon... but I won't give up, sempai! I... promise myself... and sempai that.'

Shouldn't she start from the first step, making him like her? Well perhaps he already did like her... Minami was really taking him for granted today but oddly he didn't seem to mind as he watched the younger girl pump herself up in determination to chase the shadow of the sempai that she had created herself.

'So you would have no regrets no matter who or how I really am, Minami?'

Crossing his arms, Keima challenged her and he nodded when Minami nod back in determination.

'None! I... cannot deny my feelings like that.'

'Alright, I'll hold you to that. I accept your declaration, Minami. Show me, how and why I should love you.'

..

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: I'm biased to those 2 girls.. Anyway give me comments on whether I pulled it off convincingly, personally I like how Elsi told Keima that. It might be foreshadowing something though...<strong>


	6. Observations

The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox

**Chapter 6: Observations**

**Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.**

..

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

**Written by: wrathie**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: There will be errors people as Kaiser Dude didn't beta-edit this. Right, I'm so PSYCHED about the localization of Vol.12 of KamiNomi so people, please support your local localization too!<strong>

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

Running a hand down his face, Katsuragi Keima groaned as he realized or remembered how cheesy he had been today as he laid down on his bed.

Yes, he was the **Capturing God ** and he was expected to be able to take on the role of a caring protagonist like how he had been earlier.

No, ore of a coaxing and patient one as he had gently nudge Minami back to the right direction. So was he in an Otome Game after all? No, in an Otome game the girl would have to nudge the boy to like her instead and in this case, he was the one doing all the nudging.

'It wasn't, from a game was it?'

Keima asked out loud in worry as he reached for his PFP once again to check his mail. Perhaps it was not but he did achieve his objective, that is to let Minami feel more comfortable about himself.

'But all I am doing now is to 'capture' the girls... am I doing the right thing fter all?'

A Harem situation was not the best and the ideal scenario right now and Keima realized he has been steering away from the root of the problem.

'I shouldn't be encouraging them.'

That was the truth, he should be rejecting them, telling them to not associate him together with the ridiculous identity that was the real world.

He was separate from that, in a different plane and living in a different world with different values and objectives. He was nothing like the image that they themselves have build from their own experiences and daydreams.

The real Katsuragi Keima had nothing in common with them and it should continue to stay that way.

So why could he not reject them when they approached him?

'…'

He knew the answer to that one but he'd be damned if he said that out loud as it was as good as admitting defeat to the world. The answer that he has finally reached was not something that he would like to touch on at all.

'Better to let sleeping dogs lie.'

He mumbled before going back to his game, trying to ignore that sinking feeling in his stomach that he felt when he remembered who had booked an appointment with him tomorrow after school, Kosaka Chihiro.

..

* * *

><p>..<p>

_For Elsi's benefit, she had been happy to see her onii-sama come back home relatively early in the evening after escorting Minami back home. She had been worried about how the date with Minami went due to the strange things that she had told him earlier that day._

_She herself had no idea why she blurted that out to him and she wasn't sure exactly how she should face him when he returned home that day._

_He had seemed out of it, his heads in the cloud without paying any attention to his PFP t all and when Elsi asked him how the date went, she realized she shouldn't' have bothered as he visibly flinched and blushed at her question._

_He looked a little cute that way and that caused Elsi to subsequently hit herself on the head for thinking that way about him. They were siblings! Brothers and sisters and even if she was used and resigned to being called an air-head, she knew her boundaries nd didn't ever think she would even consider him in a romantic fashion._

_SO why did she feel a tightening around her chest that she couldn't explain whenever she talked with him about his dates with the other girls. It was not that she didn't want him to interact with the girls, she had thought it was a good idea at first._

_Yes... at first, she wasn't so sure now as she knew that Keima was really thinking hard about what he could do for the girls that wanted to be with him._

_She should be happy about that, she should... but she wasn't. She was more upset that they were taking more of his time and that he couldn't spend on her instead. It wasn't the right thing to think about and she knew she shouldn't do it... but she couldn't help herself at all_

_No she, should NOT and Elsi shook her head to clear her mind just a little._

_'… I'm... NOT jealous at all.'_

_She pouted to herself in the mirror as she washed up and prepared for a good night's rest tomorrow._

..

_It was a good idea after all in the end for she could see him in a better light, that he was really trying hard to meet the girl's expectations._

_Just like how he is meeting hers right now by being the person that he was, the __**Capturing God**__, Katsuragi Keima. The person who wsa able to capture and steal away the hearts of any girl that he wished to._

_'Because he is... Kami-sama, that's why he is... allowed to do so, neh?'_

_Elsi asked herself timidly as she curled up on her bed, dressed in her light pyjamas as she nibbled at her pillow absentmindedly._

_So it's alright, for him to steal her heart away too... even if it's just for a while and if he didn't mean to at all._

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Good Morning, Elsi-chan!'

Waving to her friend eagerly, Keima nodded to Takahara Ayumi as well as Kosaka Chihiro during their journey to school together. Elsi had dragged Keima out of his room as par the norm and they had headed out together.

Keima had been up all night playing his games after dinner again and he was feeling a sense of euphoria and gratification after catching up with most of the games he had missed out over the past month.

Thus he looked like as though he was hit by a truck and Ayumi looked t him in worry as they waited for the two of them to catch up.

'Are you okay, Keima-kun? You look... tired.'

Stating the obvious and blushing as she realized that she was calling him so informally, Ayumi relaxed as Keima didn't seem to mind or did not realize as he brushed his hair back slightly.

'I'll be fine. It's all for a better cause... my lost sheep expects nothing less from me after all.'

Keima smiled in an odd fashion and that caused Ayumi to smile back politely with question marks floating all over her head and the two girls looked to Elsi for an explanation as Keima staggered forward by himself.

'He's been like that all morning... Kami-Nii-sama was up all night...'

'Wouldn't that be bad for his health?'

Ayumi asked worriedly but Elsi simply smiled and shook her head.

'Kami... nii-sama has been doing that ever since I knew him. He said then that... he was fuelled by the girl's love for him... but I don't quite understand what he really meant.'

Sighing together with Ayumi, both girls didn't notice how unnaturally quiet Chihiro was as she looked at the retreating back of Katsuragi Keima, her eyes gentle as though she sympathized with him and the other's reaction to him.

..

'Ah good morning, Kusonoki sempai!'

Waving to their senior, Elsi smiled brightly as she looked at them awkwardly before nodding her head in acknowledgment, slowly drifting over to walk with them as Ayumi and Chihiro both bowed to her in respect and admiration.

Out of all the girls, Kasuga Kusonoki was the one who the other girls were most shocked to know of her involvement with Keima. She was a popular and famous figure in school, mostly amongst the girls as she served, well, maybe not as a role model, but to some the big sister that everyone wishes for.

Thus Chihiro and most of the girls were a little apprehensive bout Kusonoki, something that the older girl only realized after seeing traces of tears in Minami's eyes even after she petted her back to try and reassure her during one of their heated debates.

The girls were not afraid of Kusonoki, they were just intimidated by her presence as she had a reputation for having a serious, take-no-prisoner attitude towards everyone around her and they tried to be in their best behaviour around her.

It troubled Kusonoki as she had not imagined that she was seen as intimidating even by _girls_ but she supposed that she should have expected that. Since then Kusonoki had tried to appear milder to the girls by changing her more formal tone and expression of speak to a more casual one, even trying her best to smile more often.

It had paid off to some extent as Elsi had warmed up to her even more while some of the younger girls like Ikoma Minami were more comfortable with her now. There were a few others who were keeping their distances but there was nothing Kusonoki could do about that and she just let the matter rest for now.

'Good morning, Elsi. It is... a fine day isn't it?'

Running out of conversation material before she even began, Kusonoki took a glance at the other two girls who nervously smiled back before sighing gain.

'Eh... I guess so... ahaha.'

Awkwardness ensued for a while till Keima froze in mid-step, causing all of the girls to peer over his shoulder to see both Fuse Aoba and Haqua de Lut Herminium standing in front of him.

'Good Morning, Katsuragi.'

Both of them echoed at the same time and after a few moments, Keima recovered and greeted them back in return stiffly.

'Can we join you for lunch today, Katsuragi? We prepared plenty today by ourselves...'

Haqua asked stiffly before being promptly elbowed by Aoba to hurry up and to continue.

'P... Please?'

She added meekly with her best impression of a begging puppy even as Aoba shoved Haqua towards Keima, causing the poor demon girl to stumble and to bump against Keima briefly.

..

'IIYAA!'

Leaping back, Haqua turned red as a tomato before trying one more time.

'Please, Katsuragi... could you allow us to join you for lunch today!'

It was enough to make the other girls feel awkward at being there but apparently, Aoba and Haqua thought it was perfectly natural as Aoba repeated the same thing.

'Please, Katsuragi. It would be fulfilling one of my last wishes if you would allow us to do so.'

'So how many last wishes would I need to grant, Fuse?'

Retorting dryly, Keima sighed deeply before knocking his knuckles against their forehead unhappily before moving on, causing Haqua to stare daggers at Fuse who was looking like she had just been dumped by him.

'Enough with this nonsense, this is not one of our games, Aoba and there's no need to put so much bandages on your hands. That is overdoing your part.'

As he left those two behind him, with Haqua stuffing the bandages to Fuse and the latter looking extremely confused, Keima muttered softly to himself for the girls to hear.

'But it can't be helped if you prepared extra...'

Cheering up at that prospect, the two girls quickly joined him even as the other girls looked at each other with the same question in their minds.

'What in the world was that about?'

..

With that unified front, all of the girls were able to mingle with each other, talking about recent happenings, trading and gossips on their way to school.

They chanced upon Ikoma Minami as well and the younger girl immediately tagged alongside Kasuga Kusonoki, much to her relief and the surprise of the other girls.

Elsi, Haqua and Ayumi were in high spirits, exchanging gossip together while Aoba and Keima were chatting about games passionately quietly, a topic that only they cared about.

What was surprising was how Chihiro seemed to be listening in as well, constantly paying attention to Keima while still speaking with Ayumi and Elsi.

It was her turn to spend the day with Keima after all but she seemed to have her heads in the clouds as she stayed mostly silent on their way to school.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Good Morning, Katsuragi-kun, Katsuragi-san, Takahara-san, Kosaka-san~'

Smiling shyly at them, his classmate and the girl-next-door Yoshino Asami, greeted Keima and his entourage as they entered the classroom together.

They hadn't made it thus far without some controversy, seeing the girls surrounding and accompanying Keima was a shock to the majority of the male population as he was the Otamegane, the OTAMEGANE for crying out liud.

The boys were furious, jealous and upset all at once for he was surrounded by girls who were reasonably popular like Takahara Ayumi and Kasuga Kusonoki. The newcomer, Haqua de lut Herminium and Katsuragi Elsi were given free passes as they were associated or related to him but it has to be noted that Haqua was gaining quite a following and had her own fanclub as her tsundere characteristics, discovered barely a day after transferring in was too obvious and too endearing for the male population to handle.

'Good morning, Asami-chan~'

To Yoshini Asami, this was the beginning of an important and life-changing week. Prior to last week she had been on one end of an unrequited crush but starting this week, she had been given the opportunity to spend time with her crush openly.

She had not actually confessed to Keima yet as she had only hinted of her possible affection for him. Asami herself knew that she liked him, liked him since a long time back and she has sort of being caught into the opportunity to be by his side with no questions asked.

Asami was a shy girl, an introverted individual who found it very hard to find a reason for being with him but now she had perfect excuse to be the girl-next-door like she had always wished to be for her wish was to be with him and by his side, nothing more and nothing less.

..

'Good morning.'

Greeting her briefly, Keima hurried off to his seat, dumping his bag down on the floor even as Asami struggled to interact with him.

'I-Its'...'

'It is a nice morning, Yoshino. I apologize for not trying hard enough.'

Keima sighed wearily as he settled down in his seat while looking up at Asami with a straight face. Asami's 'selfish' wish was to not reject her when she tries to speak with him and to try and hold a conversation with her if he could.

'N-No... I'm happy... that you are paying attention to me. I... I wouldn't be so selfish as to expect more...'

'You should, Yoshino... for example, you could be a little stubborn and insist on me calling you Asami instead.'

Cracking a rare wry smile at the shy girl, Keima was rewarded with Asami blushing red as he had expected her to do.

'T-that's … a little too much... even for me. I... wouldn't want to force Katsuragi-kun to do that.'

Keima could think of a hundred other ways to tease her again but he dropped it this time.

'As you wish, Yoshino... but the offer still stands.'

Nodding as Asami nodded her head uncertainly, Keima settled down to listen to Asami about the lessons that they were scheduled for today.

Mundane stuff really but to Asami, things that she couldn't share and discuss with others before now.

'Yes, I'm sure that there would be a mini-test soon... but if you focus on studying this few chapters.'

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

It was odd for Kosaka Chihiro to feel discouraged for such a long time as she was very able and willing to cut her losses to move on to the next thing that interested her.

That was why she wanted... to spend some time along with Katsuragi Keima as he was someone that she thought would understand her the most.

At least, that's what she thought before till she realized that Katsuragi Keima was totally unlike her. Unlike her he was someone who was dedicated and focused on his ideals.

Her ideals, she had never considered that before at all and after seeing her friends like Ayumi, Miyako and even Elsi run towards their goals, she... was reminded of how she had always remained stagnant in the same spot.

'… are you certain that this is what you wish to do today, Kosaka?'

Katsuragi Keima asked her as the two of them sat down together on the rooftop side by side, on the same bench that they were sharing the last time that they were here together.

Kosaka Chihiro's capture was difficult at that time as unfortunately, Keima was distracted and biased in his assessment of her. He had wrongly assumed that Chihiro was a 'normal' girl with no distinctive characteristics but he couldn't have been more wrong as she was an individual whose sole purpose was to forge new grounds even if she had to lie to herself to do it.

An individual who was inspired by the unique individuals around her, fired up by their uniqueness and their 'fire' to stand out in the crowd.

By trying her best and even mimicking or approaching them, Kosaka Chihiro was a well-fleshed out and unique person in her own right.

She was not original, she would never be original as she was a 'copy, a 'fake' but if a 'fake' can do better than the original, there is nothing in the world who could say that she was a 'fake' can it?

Drawing strength from the 'original', trying to bask in their glow was something that Keima doesn't quite like but who can deny the 'fake' his or her ideals? Certainly not him if that was the path of self-destruction that they decided to follow.

Thankfully for Kosaka Chihiro though, Keima figured out that Chihiro was unique in her own right and helped her with her self-confidence issues to unleash the hidden dragon inside her, causing the formation of the 2B Pencils.

That was then and now was now, causing Keima to wonder if she needed another pep-talk as Chihiro had been strangely quiet today.

..

She was the life of the party, the mood generator as she was the one who could inspire the rest of the girls to do things that they normally couldn't,

A key thing to note was that Elsi and Ayumi was the mood-influencer, the two of them were able to influence the 2B Pencil's mood and enthusiasm with their current state of mind.

With her silence, or perhaps her brooding, lunch was quiet affair that was only broken thanks to Aoba and Haqua. Keima had to wonder at what the two girls were doing or re-enacting as they had tried desperately to feed him their home-made lunches.

Keima wasn't sure but he swore that Aoba was enjoying herself a little way too much while Haqua wanted to die from embarrassment. It had finally culiminated in the other girls, especially Yoshino Asami from trying to achieve the same 'accomplishment' as well, causing Keima to retreat from the rooftop before it got out of hand, again.

'Is there something that you wish from me, Kosaka?'

After a long period of silence where Chihiro simply sat there with him still gaming beside her, Keima cracked and asked her what was her game plan today.

His impression of her was a bundle of energy that could be directed in any direction but right now that energy was nowhere to be seen and it worried him.

It wasn't... right really to see her so deflated and lifeless and Keima spoke out of concern as well.

'No, nothing really... I'm just... thinking. I think better if there is something around me. So... I might ask some rhetorical questions out loud later... you can reply me if you want to... but I'm not forcing you to.'

Chihiro replied slowly, as if she still wasn't sure of her own tongue and Keima nodded in reply.

..

It seems that Chihiro can't really trust him yet and by all standards, he couldn't expect her to as his track record wasn't stellar or the best in the world.

'I understand... however, I'll be here if you need anything.'

Keima offered a small smile to the girl before going back to his game, causing Chihiro to mumble about him not playing fair while wringing her arms in the air.

After a while, Chihiro could be seen poking her head over Keima's shoulders to see what he was playing and although Keima did not pretend to not see her, he did not make any moves to allow her to see better as well.

Playing his games wasn't about skill or talent, it was about dedication and empathy, something that Keima knew that Chihiro was not very good at.

'Do you want to know what I am playing?'

Keima finally asked after Chihiro did not give up at the setup back, merely trying to shift to a more comfortable position for her to observe and he raised an eyebrow in surprise when she nodded slowly.

'I guess if you would allow me to see, I don't mind learning about it.'

It was a very vague reply but Keima merely nodded before adjusting his seating position to allow the both of them to look at the PFP console.

The PFP wasn't large by anyone's definition and as the **Capturing God**, his 'processing' was much faster than a normal human as it was possible for him to play 6 different games on different consoles almost at the same time.

This placed Chihiro at a sever disadvantage and she had to squint closer and closer to even read the text that Keima was going through.

Now, Keima wasn't insulting the voice-actors by not going through the dialogues together with the script as Keima did spend time, plenty of it in drama-cds and their radio broadcast and releases after finishing the game.

'I'll slow it down a little.'

..

Keima offered and after seeing Chihiro nod her head with a smile of thanks, Keima wondered at the sudden interest that Chihiro had in his games, nothing that prior to Fuse Aoba and perhaps to some extent, Tsukiyo Kujyo, none of them had ever shown interest in his games.

'Neh,... so you're supposed to chase after this girl, right?'

Asking a question suddenly, Keima was jarred and it took a few seconds for him to come to terms with the question before nodding his head.

'Yes, that is the objective in this run. However, chasing is irrelevant as she was 'destined' to be mine from the start.'

Stating an incredible claim, Keima expected Chihiro to laugh or to mock him but instead she simply nodded her in understanding.

'Ehh... so that's the premise behind the games huh? That's why you say you can 'capture' any girl you like based on the games that you play? How did you chase her anyway?'

Pointing at the girl that was displayed in the console right now, Keima explained slowly about how he had seen the 'ending' based on her setup.

'Oh... so her family is pressuring her too much with their expectations and you were there to help her with that issue? Is that why she liked you in the end?'

Picking up on his explanation relatively quickly, Chihiro seemed surprised to find it so simple and she explained that it was similar to some romance novels that she had read before.

'You know... it seems... a little generic and similar to the serial dramas you see on TV, Katsuragi.'

Chihiro made a comparison and Keima nodded in understanding. It was easy to use that as a layman's term but to a true specialist, the games that Keima play are much much more than that.

..

..

'It is similar in a sense that there is only a finite amount of ways a relationship between people can be born and ta times it can be repetitive. What is different from each game, from each adaption and from each medium is the amount of emotion and depth the characters have or are invested in.'

Keima paused as Chihiro nodded her head in understanding as Keima placed his PFP down while elaborating. This was a topic that Elsi had never raised and Keima was secretly glad that Chihiro wanted to listen to him still.

It was one of his pet peeves and he had never gotten the chance to vent his frustration out before.

'The depth of the character can be determined by how much backstory a character has, the portrayal of their emotions, their settings and their past. All of those build together to be a 'character', the focal point of the story, one might say that even in books or in serial dramas they have the same premise, to showcase the character's past and the circumstances regarding the character to appeal to the audience. One can also say that due to the fact that one can 'see' the character, they can relate to them more. However, that is not the case here.'

Chihiro tilted her head in surprise as Keima continued with great relish.

'In books or serials, there is a lack of connectivity with the audience as they are not the main characters in the story. In short, they had created an isolated case where the viewers can only relate with the main character, rarely so as they have their own opinions and might not agree with the audience but not be actively involved in their actions. As in a book or serial drama, the history of the lead characters would always be revealed at the end of the story, whether it is during the middle, the climax or the end, there is no exceptions to the rule.

Now, one might think that it is a good thing but in fact it is simply showing your hand in one go. If one can see everything without working hard for it, it is similar to spoon feeding and the effect is largely lost. Now, I do not wish to say that books or serial drams are bad, they can be very well done with well-fleshed out characters, plot, setting and pacing but in the end, my games are superior as you are in control or you seem to be in control most of them.'

Keima could see question marks hovering around Chihiro's head, figuratively of course and he chuckled before saving his game and passing the PFP to her.

..

'When you start a game, you are the one who would 'save' them. All of them are princesses worth saving, their emotions, history, past and everything belongs to you if you care to receive them to work for them and to help them along the way. It is not unlike you are interacting with a real person... have you ever seen a serial drama or a book where the ending is a bad one? Where the main leads are separated in the end?'

Seeing Chihiro shake her head, Keima laughed as he told her that his games does mirror real life, despite his unhappiness at it being so.

'Just like how things rarely ever work out in the short or long run, there is never always a 'good' ending when it comes down to relationships. That is true in real life and in the games that I play. A 'good' end, like in all relationships have to be earned, they have to be appreciated and most importantly, have to be sought, discovered and experienced by the party who is pursuing the relationship.

There is not always a giving and taking relationship between partners and at times it might be a purely giving one. However, if one is willing to 'give' after learning about the plight, accepting her and his feelings, why is that not something that is beautiful and could be accepted willingly by others?

Just like how I accepted the girls that I saved, I know they have accepted me for they had revealed to me their deepest secrets, insecurities and fears... all because I choose and I repeat, choose to discover them. There is no silver platter in the world and no one is born with a silver spoon. Things given free shall never last, but things that are fought for shall always be worth more than they seem.'

..

It was a very inspiring speech, something that left Chihiro stunned as she sat back and considered his words.

For Keima however, the speech was something that was his mantra, his belief and what made him him. All of it was what he believed in, strives for and why... he could not refuse the girls when he saved them.

He had worked hard to gain their trust, to learn their secrets and along the way, saved them from their own predicaments.

If he was the **Capturing God** for the games then by default he is the **Capturing God** for the real world as well and it was with some reluctance that he took up this role. In the process he had discovered that they was very obvious similarities between his games and this world, hence his determination and preference for his games as well.

If Real life and his game kingdom was having a tug of war for him, he would whole-heartedly want his kingdom to win as despite Real Life's temptation of having a wider variety and more realistic scenarios, he was dead set in discovering the heroines in the games that were being released continually.

..

'So is that your passion, Katsuragi?'

Chihiro asked suddenly and Keima blinked in confusion at how she had just said it. It wasn't more of a question, it was... her wanting a confirmation of what she had observed and was read to pass judgement on him, whether he liked it or not.

The key question right now would be whether he had passed the test. It would be for naught if all he had said just now when in one ear and went out the other.

'My... passion? You mean... my dedication to the games?'

Keima asked her patiently, trying to bait her to reveal more as he realized that he himself had been tricked to overextend his hand, revealing a lot of himself than he would have wished to normally.

'Mm mm, is your games your passion? Or is that something else? I've always asked myself that... what was my dream, what I wanted to do, what I liked and what I should do... but... I could never find the right answer. Oh, I found answers alright, just... answers that I changed a ew days later.'

Keima could draw parallels with her and Minami, both unsure and easy to influence by others or by themselves.

'But... I still want to work hard in something though, something meaningful and... that I would look back to and say: 'Oh that was a great experience', you know?'

Chihiro was mumbling to herself now and Keima remembered her words earlier: _**[you can reply me if you want to... but I'm not forcing you to]**_ and he choose to keep quiet while she continued.

'There are times where I felt very down and unhappy with myself, I know I should be doing something that's worth my time, that is important too! But... but I just can't focus you know... it doesn't interest me as much as I would want to.'

Chihiro moaned while holding her hand and Keima saw how vulnerable and desperate she was at realizing and knowing that she couldn't find focus right now. It was not uncommon though and Keima wondered why he was being dragged into this before he realized what was going on and wanted to slap himself for being an idiot.

He was the **Capturing God **and this was Kosaka Chihiro's confession scene. Like it or not, she was opening up to him and he had to accept it with as much grace as he could muster.

Nodding his head, Keima tried to put up a sympathetic and understanding face as Chihiro continued on.

..

'I guess I'm just childish. You said that I can do anything that I set my mind to... but I'm not so sure any more... not when everyone around me is moving forward and I'm the only one that is left behind...'

Chihiro started to give examples like how Ayumi is striving for a sports-scholarship with blessings from her coach, Miyako was doing well with her studies and is thinking of pursuing medical school, Kanon is... well Kanon and even Elsi seems to have a set path ahead of her when she asked her what she was going to do.

'I thought that you would understand what I am going through... but I guess not... you're... you're better than all of them combined... you have been chasing your dreams and ideals since the beginning haven't you?'

Keima blinked as Chihiro turned to meet him, her eyes sparking with admiration, pride and of course a little jealousy as she timidly caressed his PFP that he was holding in his hands.

Chihiro had broke character so much that Keima was unable to say anything but could only watch silently as another side of Chihiro was opened up to him.

'It... just isn't fair for you to do that by yourself, Katsuragi... that's what I want to say... but I can't really say that for it's because you have been chasing your ideals... that I was able to see a new side of you. You belonged to another world, another plane altogether like you said before, I just didn't believe you then... but I do now. I do as... everything you did was for your own beliefs, even if it was something you rather not do.'

Chihiro took a deep breath before smiling and handing Keima his PFP back.

'Your passion... isn't just to play your games, Katsuragi... it's about saving the 'girls' in the game, no? When you are talking about the games, you focused... on the girls, you wanted everyone to know about them, to know their plight and their struggles and... you wanted to save them, all of them don't you?'

Keima was left stunned as she had hit the nail on the head and it was something that no one else had ever associated with. It was perhaps the same reason why he couldn't say 'no' to the girls, not when he himself...

It might not be the right answer, but Chihiro was right, he did everything as the girls were worth it.

They were worth every moment of it.

..

'Perhaps you are right there.'

Keima admitted and Chihiro smiled while looking away.

'I guess I had been thinking about that, I wanted to know why you were trying so hard... I knew you were in the wrong... but you had no choice, right? I'm not sure if I can do that and all this if I were in your shoes.'

Chihiro confessed again before stretching again and getting up on her feet.

'I guess, that's all for today, Katsuragi... thank you for listening to me... you showed me a different side of you today... and I won't make fun of your games ever again, you can keep saving all of 'them', I won't stop you.'

Keima wasn't sure if she was kidding or being serious and he simply nodded his head while Chihiro looked away at the distance, it is a beautiful day and she mentioned that it would be great if tomorrow was the same.

'You have a date tomorrow desho?'

She smiled wryly and Keima nodded slowly in appreciation of her actions as well as the depth in her character and her analysis, Keima wouldn't have expected that of her and her stock value rose significantly, especially after he asked whether it would really be alright to leave it like that.

'I'm not forcing you to walk me back, but it would be a nice touch. Since you started it, you should end it desho? I'll buy you a snack on the way back as a reward, kay?'

Chihiro grinned when Keima nodded after signing in resignation at his fate.

'Don't worry, I promise I won't take much of your time.'

She added again as they headed down from the roof, causing Keima to answer with a firm nod and his reassurances that she would.

'I hope I can find something that I live for too, some day... perhaps with your help, Katsuragi.'

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: I hope this has made Chihiro seem much better in your eyes. Right, POLL TIME so check out my profile and vote kay?<strong>


	7. The Masked Heroine

The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox

**Chapter 7: The Masked Heroine**

**Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.**

。。

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

**Written by: wrathie**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: This is officially the longest chapter I've ever written for BRP and it feels like I ended it a little abruptly.<strong>

**Oh, _Wolf's Honour_ and _Kaiser Dude_ busy with college so this is an unedited release. Be patient with me and give me plenty of R&R!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

It was evening when he and Chihiro parted ways and it had been on a positive note as the normal girl had seemed to be in high spirits in contrast to the dejected feel that he had sensed from her earlier in the day.

Katsuragi Keima supposed that Chihiro was feeling better after getting out of her system and he kept a close eye on her as she dragged him around window shopping for a while.

She had honoured her promise and had bought him a crepe and despite his dislike for sweet things, he had slowly nibbled at it as Chihiro continued speaking with him about nothing in particular.

Kosaka Chihiro was changing and perhaps for the better as she was able to draw from the lessons she had learnt from Keima to better focus on her life.

Yes, she had changed since her first capture and she had dared to strive for her dream of playing in a band but was that really what she wanted in life?

That was the next logical step for her to discover and Keima was glad to see her willing to move on with or without him. It was true that he found everything a hassle and to be dragged from his preferred place of gaming was indeed depressing... however, he has drawn lessons from his interactions with the real-life girls.

He was not 'capturing' them and there was no need to pay attention to their needs or so he had thought as he had eventually succumbed to his instincts to 'capture' them once again.

By relieving their pains, problems and insecurities wasn't he 'capturing' them all over again? Or was he simply letting the matter rest for good by guiding them onwards towards their next phase in life with or without him.

..

Some girls like Ikoma Minami and Nakagawa Kanon needed more reassurance and they wanted him to be by her side even if that was impossible.

Others like Kujyo Tsukiyo and Kosaka Chihiro simply wanted to know that their preferred path was right and that they could still rely on him if they met with difficulties along the way.

Finally Kasuga Kusonoki simply wanted to return the favour for his help while they continued on with their lives.

All of them were moving forward and it was a positive sign as Keima returned home to see Elsi and Mari waiting for him in the dinner table.

'It's time for dinner, Kami-Onii-sama~'

'You're late, Keima dear~'

He has his own path to consider, the future and the present was something that was pressing him but there were time for a small break or two before he tackled the issues head on.

'…'

Nodding, he joined them while putting his PFP aside.

* * *

><p>..<p>

The girl in question for his next 'date' was Yoshino Asami and in particular this girl was unique as she was an individual that had continued to keep her 'feelings' for him even after the capture.

It was a fact that has to be stressed as it was an oddity, something that Keima thought to be impossible as that symbolized that there was someone in the world who liked Keima despite all his eccentric behaviour.

That was... not impossible but the odds in that person being in the same class as him for two years was very unlikely.

Stranger things have happened and Keima supposed he had to count his lucky stars that Yoshino Asami was not an aggressive suitor or was one that was as eccentric as he was.

Fuse Aoba came to mind but that girl was an exception as the two of them had similar hobbies and could get along reasonably well.

'That doesn't explain her request though.'

It was a troubling and confusing request, for him and for Asami in general as it would mean exposing herself to his eccentricity.

Well if she herself had no problems with it, Keima wasn't one to judge. Each girl has their own preferences and it was wrong for him to question their likes and dislikes.

'For I have my own preferences as well.'

Admitting to himself as he laid against his chair, his hands pausing as he stared at the girls staring back at him from the different screens in front of him.

Yes, even he had hi own standards of perfection... even I that means Yoshino Asami might be in a disadvantage there.

'I had given her no promises... and yet, why does she not give up?'

He knew the answer as he was the **Capturing God** and the answer was something that he had always repeated to the girls in the game. It's because of love, or like... she had this strong and undeniable attraction to him that she cannot ignore.

'… Clique much?'

He asked himself again before going back to his games, trying not to dwell on the matter too much.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Good Morning, Katsuragi-san.'

Bowing to him in front of his home as he left their home, Keima nodded back even as Elsi and Mari looked at the new girl in surprise.

Well not Elsi as she knew of today's plans but Mari in particular was in a state of shock as she leaned against Elsi for support. It had barely been a day after she met the first girl in Keima's life, Kujyo Tsukiyo and Mari was glad that for once in his life, Keima was paying attention to people of the other sex.

In her opinion, Kujyo Tsukiyo was someone that was not suitable for Keima as although she was obedient and quiet, not to mention totally adorable, her demeanour and the reluctance of expression meant that, at least to Mari, their relationship wouldn't progress far due to them being unable to express their liking and love for each other.

In reality however, Kujyo and Keima was actually quite a good fit with each other as the two of them would be able to get along very well and despite their reservedness, they knew how and when to give the other space and even though Kujyo was fond of giving commands and asking ridiculous requests of him, Keima needed to have a direction to where he should place his efforts in anyway.

The reason for Mari being so shocked was how the new girls seemed to be a perfectly normal girl, no, she _is_ a normal high school girl! It has been a while since she's been introduced to a real high school student, in many ways she didn't treat Elsi as one as Mari knew that she had room to mature before she grows up to become a fine woman.

Even so, Mari was confident that when Elsi does, she would be the perfect woman and wife, the only question now would be when would she ever grow up.

In any case, Mari was blown away when the girl, Yoshino Asami greeted her and Elsi politely before introducing herself.

'I'm Yoshino Asami... a classmate of Katsuragi-san and Katsuragi-chan... Ano... I was hoping that I can walk with them to school today.'

It wasn't an exaggeration when Mari said she shed a flood of tears in joy as she hugged the surprised girl, causing Asami to hold her awkwardly as Mari sobbed that she could, she definitely could do that and even to ask her to come over for breakfast everyday if she wished to.

'Erm... It's fine, Katsuragi-san...'

'No, call me Mari! MARI!'

Asami nodded slowly before bowing to her respectfully again.

'Then, Mari-san.. I would have to respectfully decline as I have to join my family for breakfast as well.'

'That is a pity... well, I shouldn't let you wait, bye dears.'

Giving Elsi a kiss on the cheek as well as a pet on the head, Mari turned and glared at Keima who was still playing his PFP even while they were speaking. It was very rude for him to do that and Mari pulled his ear to remind him of that.

..

'Keima-san, you have such a nice girl coming over to walk you to school, the least you could do is spare her some attention.'

Frowning at Keima, Mari's eyes widened and she almost lost consciousness when Keima cleared his throat and greeted Asami like she had asked him to.

'Good morning, Asami-chan.'

'K-Katsuragi-san... I... I well, I'm happy that you wish to call me by... my name, but...'

'There is no need to be embarrassed, Asami-chan. I mentioned that you could call me by my name as well. There is no need to be so formal between the two of us.'

'T-then... it is alright to call you Keima-kun... then?'

'Of course, I would prefer if you call me that.'

It was mind blowing to see Keima actually engage and perhaps hit on another girl and she wanted so badly to have a video-camera to capture the moment as the two of them headed for school together.

'Ah, wait for me, Kami-Onii-sama!'

Panicking as she had been left behind, Elsi found herself held back by Mari as the older woman whispered to her.

'Elsi-chan, haven't you heard of the saying: 'Two is a company but three is a crowd'? It's so rare to see Keima-san willing to go anywhere with a girl and he must really like the girl to call her by her name too! Ah, my son is finally growing up and having a healthy interest in girls! So don't get in their way, okay, Elsi-chan?'

Smiling happily, Mari paid no heed to Elsi as she wanted to debunk the myth that Keima wasn't interested in girls. He was the **Capturing God** after all and if he wasn't interested in girls, he wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place would he?

If Mari even knew a fraction of the stunts he pulled to catch the attention of the other girls, there would be hell to play as he had 'toyed' and cheated with the precious feelings of so many other girls.

'T-then, Ohka-sama... I'll be heading off!'

Elsi bowed to her again before running off to catch up with her Kami-Onii-sama despite the advise given from Mari.

* * *

><p>..<p>

In the end however, Elsi found it really very difficult for her to approach the two of them as they were indeed in their own 'zone' so to speak. They didn't speak much but when they did, Asami would laugh or giggle at a comment Keima made about the topic at hand.

It was so normal and yet so disturbing to everyone around them that the two of them actually did manage to carve a small portion of the pavement for their own personal use as they headed towards school.

Students were giving them a wide berth and plenty of curious looks as the really looked like a normal dating couple on their way to school.

There would be time where there was no conversation between the two of them but they would quickly move on to another topic and from what Elsi could pick up from behind them, their conversational topics were... 'normal'!

..

'Keima-san, I can't believe that you haven't went to the Karaoke before! I would really like to go there with you, just once. I'm sure that Keima-san would have a really nice voice.'

'… You are just saying that to trick me to embarrass myself in front of you, Asami-chan.'

Keima offered a small smile while Asami smiled weakly back as she stuck her tongue out to indicate that was her plan after all.

'Ahaha~ So Keima-san did catch me out on that after all~ I promise I won't laugh at you if we do go there together.'

Keima paused before asking her whether she meant that it was a date, between the two of them and Asami blushed deeply before nodding her head.

'Keima-san knows that I'm not good with crowds... so I'll be happy if it just the two of us, please. I won't force you to accept though, Keima-san. I want it to entirely voluntary.'

Asami smiled hopefully while Keima just shrugged and said that he'll consider it.

The conversation then drifted off again towards lunch and after Asami mentioned that she did prepare lunch for the two of them did Elsi had to fight the urge to barge in and to interrupt their conversation.

..

'Ara ara, Is Elsi-chan getting jealous?'

Interrupting her train of thought, Elsi jumped to see no one else but Terada Miyako smiling at her and Elsi shook her head a little sadly while walking with her.

'I thought that I'll see Katsuragi-san being jealous of his sister and her boyfriend not the other way around though.'

'I'm NOOOT jealous!'

Flailing her arms around to prove her point, Elsi completely failed in that aspect as Miyako simply giggled and petted Elsi on the head like she was a small child.

'But there's nothing wrong with that, desho? Yoshino-san is enjoying herself isn't she? It's so rare to see her smile or to speak with someone like that... Katsuragi-san, your brother really has been showing a different side of him over the last few days. Did something good happen over the summer?'

Miyako's eyes sparkled with the hopes of gossip and Elsi risked the danger of being interrogated until she was saved by Haqua who swooped down and interrupted their conversation.

'GOOD MORNING~~'

..

In the mean time, all things were not that rosy with the two of them as Asami suddenly spoke out to ask the question that had been bugging her for a while.

'Ano... Keima-san...'

Lowering her head, Asami felt a little awkward and uncomfortable at how out-of character Keima was. She had been thrilled at first at how Keima seemed to find at least some joy or happiness in interacting with her but as they neared school she realized that this wasn't the Katsuragi Keima that she knew.

She knew that it was partly her fault as she had requested that Keima not reject her when she was trying to speak to him but wasn't this going overboard?

With that in mind, Asami asked Keima if he was uncomfortable this way.

'I...I don't want Keima-san to treat... treat me differently... I want Keima-san to be who he really is.'

Trembling as she spoke to him, Asami breathed easier when Keima blinked and nodded while whispering to her.

'So it is alright if I... be who I am, Yoshino? Even if I might not be the person who you expect me to be?'

It was a calculated risk for Keima to take on this façade as it was so out of the ordinary for him and would most likely be circulated around the school as one of the Seven Wonders of the School and he wondered if it'll be okay to pass the oddity off by saying it was his evil doppelgänger twin of some sort.

Jokes aside, Keima had adopted this particular persona to 'test' and to ascertain Asami's expectations of him. This persona was difficult to maintain for him as well and he had hoped that Asami would point that out to him.

Still, if Asami was willing to accept even the 'fake' version of him, Keima would have to be firm and explain to her that she was chasing a false image of him.

In the same note, the counter-argument would be that Asami was willing to embrace and accept Keima no matter how he is like and so it is basically a double-edged sword that can be used against him as well.

In that case Keima would have to adapt accordingly as Asami could be a clingy fangirl that refuses to accept 'no' as an answer.

Thankfully for him and for Asami as well, she had a very clear picture of Keima that she could compare against and Keima nodded his head slowly in acceptance.

'Who I am? Even if it might be someone who might reject you?'

Asami considered that for a moment before nodding her head slowly.

'I want to know more about Keima-san... the real him and now who he appears to others. The Keima-san that exists when he is alone by himself... I want to know if I can be a person that can accept him that way too...'

It was early in the day but it seemed that Yoshino Asami had told Keima of the requirement to close this chapter in Yoshino Asami's life.

'As... I know more than any one else... how difficult and painful it is to always wear a mask in front of others.'

Asami added quietly and Keima reached out to stroke her chin, causing the girl to blush madly as he himself added the finishing touches for a good scene indeed.

'If that is your request, I see no problem in granting it.'

* * *

><p>..<p>

Yoshino Asami did not know what to make of Katsuragi Keima after gaining the right to be by his side. She wasn't sure whether she was expecting more out of him... or perhaps she was disappointed in seeing how good of an actor he was?

Was he really merely being considerate or purposeful mindful of his actions around the girls so far?

She probably couldn't stand it if she hadn't seen how he treated some of the other girls in his different ways. In a way Katsuragi Keima really does have different faces as after careful observations, Yoshino Asami could see how he adapts and changes to different people to handle their different personalities.

Keima treats Katsuragi Elsi and his sister in a dismissive fashion, not liking how she likes to cling on to him but at the same shows tolerance to her beyond anyone else she has ever seen before.

Being classmates, Keima was indifferent to Takahara Ayumi and Kosaka Chihiro as they were mere acquaintances, at least openly but in private he was more than willing to lend a hearing ear and if so necessary, would even take time to listen to their worries.

Most strikingly however, Keima treated his seniors and juniors reservedly and seemed unwilling to comment or to interact with them in public. Once they were together in private however or with individuals that know their relationship with each other, Keima was patient and understanding and would adopt the opposite personality accordingly to suit the individual.

With different girls, Katsuragi Keima would display a different side of himself and although all of the points listed earlier were 'different' aspects, she had not... expected him to show a different side to her as well.

It was like the entire image of Katsuragi Keima was destroyed in an instant and Yoshino Asami felt a little confused and bewildered at his actions

..

'Why... would Keima-kun... want to hide his true self so much.'

It was an innocent question as they entered the classroom and although Asami knew the answer to that, she was taken aback when Keima reversed the question back to her instead.

'I would like to ask the same question to you, Yoshino. Why do you hide your true self so?'

* * *

><p>..<p>

Katsuragi Keima did not mind the brief interlude in the 'missions' and 'promises' that he has to undertake with the girls and to be honest he did not mind Yoshino Asami despite his reservations earlier. The girl was quiet, less so than Shiomiya Shiori and clearly fitted into the archetype of 'girl-next-door', one of the tamest, reserved and yet perhaps the most under-appreciated one of all the defined character archetypes.

Girl-next-door characters weren't very popular with most gamers due to their tame personality, nature and how they seemed tailored around the main protagonist but in the real world it seemed to work in the opposite fashion as they could be lumped together with the 'childhood-friend' archetype as well and in most realistic cases, they were the ones who would make the easiest and most logical partner with in the long run.

Yoshino Asami wasn't all over him and she had her own opinions and view points but most importantly, she accepted him for who she was and did not make too much of a fuss when he continued to game when she was sharing her lunch.

Under Asami's understanding and tolerant personality, Keima was able to game as much as he wanted to during classes and even during their breaks and it wasn't a stretch to say that Keima had actually benefited the most from this relationship.

'I hope it's to your liking, Keima-san.'

It was enough to wonder if Asami was happy and willing to serve Keima... a thought that made Keima shiver as tempting as it might be to have someone like her being by his side, it really wouldn't work well in the popularity polls in the future.

'Yoshino... thank you. But you... really need not go to such an extent.'

Frowning as he placed his PFP down to see Asami trying to feed him a piece of sausage, Keima blushed and looked away even as Asami shook her head and said that she wanted to.

'… Keima-san said that I'm not being true to myself... but... Keima-san, I... know that Keima-san would accept me, all of me... even the me that I disliked. That was what you promised me before, didn't you?'

It was true, he did promise her that no matter what she became, no matter what difficulties she might face, she would always have him to count on as he would accept all of her, flaws, failures and all.

That was a promise that was not exclusive to her, Kosaka Chihiro had a similar promise and so was it why he found the two of them to be so similar and yet so different?

Chihiro had the courage to pursue her dreams with his backing but... Asami was happy to be just by his side even if it meant that she would not progress.

That... was perhaps the part that Keima didn't understand.

..

Giving in to her persistence, Keima did accept Asami's gesture and he chewed on the sausage while Asami started on her portion as well and she continued to feed Keima while sitting beside him in the courtyard.

Naturally her behaviour had drawn some flak for her in class but she had shrugged off the comments with nary a pause.

'… Thank you for your concern.'

That was what she repeated to those who asked her whether she really wanted to spend time with the Otamegane at all.

'Even so... Yoshino... I... do believe that you have... more important things that you wish to do, don't you?'

Yoshino Asami was an introvert and although not an individual that was sidelined in class, her average looks and her easy-going nature meant that she had her few share of fans in the class.

That said, she was always too obedient and easygoing and she has been labelled as the 'teacher's pet' for she would never get into an argument, would give up an argument before it even started and was always the middle-man and neutral party in the class.

All this was a result of her efforts to try and get along with others. Yoshino Asami was not an individual who wanted to be an introverted person by choice, she dearly wanted to be someone who could get along with her friends, to have her own opinion and to not be judged for everything she does. She wanted... to be herself... but all of that was compounded by her lack of confidence in that said self.

'… Yes, I would accept you and I still will accept you for who you are... but can you accept yourself for who you are?'

'… Thank you for your concern, Keima-san... and thank you for accepting me... I guess... I don't know that myself.'

Asami whispered sadly while keeping the remains of lunch and waiting for him to lead the way back to school.

'… If I do not... would Keima-san be able to tell me the same thing?'

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Ara ara~~'

It had been difficult but Keima had managed to get a hold of Yoshino Asami's sister, Yoshino Ikumi's number and after expressing surprise that Keima had called her, she had enthusiastically agreed to meet them after school today.

'I'm surprised that Asami-chan could get the courage to ask Katsuragi-kun out! Well, not that I want to judge in her taste of men, but I'm sure it's tough for you too... or was it the opposite hmm~~? Asami-chan was up all morning preparing the lunch you had today you know.'

'Yoshino...'

Keima spoke her name softly and her sister sighed before speaking again.

'Hai hai~ I get it, I get it~ I'll meet up with you guys after school. Is the arcade fine? Mm mm! It has been ages since I've been there... Right, right, I'll be sure to do that... it isn't what I like to do... but I guess for Asami-chan I'll bear with it! So it's a date then?'

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Ah... Ikumi-chan.'

It was a surprise to see her twin sister waiting for them at the arcade but Asami swallowed her pride and managed to smile back at her instead. It was no secret that she was very envious of her sister's ability to get along and socialize with others and she has highlighted that fact to her many times before in the past.

What she didn't know was how severe it could get at times as she visibly twitched when Ikumi immediately grabbed hold of Keima's arms and pressed it against her body while guiding him towards the arcade.

'Let's go let's go! Time is a wasting, Asami-chan, Katsuragi-kun! It's been a while since we've been here so let's make the most of it!'

Pulling him with her, Ikumi didn't even pay heed to Asami at all and it bothered her quite a bit as she followed behind them.

It had been a great day so far and she really didn't want to end it with a sour note and so Yoshino Asami did what she did best, hiding her own discomfort and bravely tackling the issuing by going with the flow instead of against it.

'Let's try this thing first!'

Entering the arcade, a place that she didn't really like thanks to the loud music, the crowded people as well as the flashing lights, Asami found the two of them looking at a light gun arcade game and subsequently picking up the light guns in preparation for the game.

'Ahaha~ You're so slow, Asami-chan! Well then, let's get to it, Katsuragi-kun.'

Winking at him while he inserted the coins for the game, Asami was forced to watch as the two of them started the game by themselves, leaving her out of the loop as Ikumi giggled and screamed in excitement as she shot the zombies that appeared in the game. It was a game that Asami had seen people play but personally disliked due to the large amounts of gore and blood that was displayed in the game it self.

Today though, she discovered that she hated another aspect of it as Ikumi was prone to bumping into Keima in her excitement and there were a few times where Keima had to steady Ikumi when he was reloading his gun in the game.

'Eheh, thanks, Katsuragi-kun.'

It was the close physical contact that was making it hard for her to bear and she broke off from the other two to find some peace by herself and after wandering a while, she found it in another game that she was generally fond with.

..

'Whew, that was fun!'

The two of them gave up after nerve wrecking third stage and after wiping away her sweat, Ikumi looked to see Keima panting and generally looking very uncomfortable.

'I guess that was too exciting for you, huh, Katsuragi-san?'

'… I had to shoot a zombie girl...'

It seemed that it was a topic that she shouldn't intervene or know about and she simply tugged his shoulder while asking him if she was doing a good job. It felt bad but after Keima explained that it was necessary for Asami, she had agreed to help him out.

'You did well... although you could let me go now.'

Keima spoke softly as they searched for Asami and Ikumi released him almost immediately after scratching her head awkwardly.

'Oopsies, guessed I forgot about that. You're really no fun, Katsuragi-kun~ Oh, wait, you are fun... but you don't let yourself have too much fun.'

Ikumi teased even as Keima spotted Asami by herself in a dance-dance revolution machine and was gathering quite the crowd as she was really pretty good at it.

'Ah~ Asami-chan is back to her old tricks, isn't she?'

Ikumi remarked as they got closer and she explained that Asami was very good in Dance-Dance Revolution as she was able to focus and react well to the music as well as the dance-steps.

'I can't do that as I tend to get distracted by the music. But I have fun playing the game and Asami does to~'

'She's just trying to distance herself.'

Keima spoke quietly and Ikumi blinked in surprise at his words, not fully comprehending what he meant till he continued.'

'That game is designed for two players but there is a lack of interaction between the players, am I not right? Her focus is on the screen and the music and she is isolating herself in the game. A lie within a lie... I assume that she would head over here whenever you bring her here to the arcade?'

Ikumi admitted that it was true, Asami was only fond of the DDR, the Beatmania and many other single player games as compared to those that allowed for two or more players like the Arcade Machines or the Driving Simulation games. Even while in an environment when people around her are competing or interacting with one another, she choose games that can be played even by themselves.

Sure, Arcade Fighting games can be played with one-player but another person can jump in and challenge the other player, another form of interaction.

Even if Asami was interrupted in her DDR game, she would still be able to play regardless of the other player's skill as she was not directly influenced by him save for the different dance steps that was presented to him.

Or she could do what Keima surmises she usually does.

..

'Ah... Asami-chan!'

Waving to her as she stepped down from the machine after a guy stepped up to the plate to play with her, Asami bowed apologetically to the boy who looked quite deflated at how fast Asami had given up and rejoined them.

'Did you enjoy your game, Keima-san, Ikumi-chan?'

There was a marked improvement in the sense that Asami did in fact reach out to hold Keima's arm and to stand beside him protectively, almost jealously against her sister, something that the two of them did notice.

'Yeah we did! You should join us next time, Asami-chan~ Let's go have a look at the other games now!'

The three of them proceeded to do just that and as per the norm, Ikumi was the life of the party and she was cheering Keima on as he tried his hand on the above-mentioned fighting game and it was only after Asami assisted him by reading to him the inputs from the game did he single handedly defeat all who stepped up to the plate to challenge him.

The dexterity that he had with his fingers was probably due to him homing his skills on the PFP and the fact that Asami's attention on Keima never wavered even once was noted by Ikumi, who was watching and cheering them on.

..

'You were awesome, Katsuragi-kun! Your hands were a blur! I couldn't even see you input them at all.'

'… Keima-san is well versed in his games... and I think Keima-san was motivated when you saw that the Arcade Game as a story for the female character desho?'

Tilting her head as she smiled even as Keima nodded in admission.

'I would not allow anyone stop me from capturing her as well.'

He declared while Asami giggled and the three of them headed towards the Photo sticker booths to take a few photos with each other to commemorate the occasion.

'Please Katsuragi-kun, c'mon, please! Just take one with us!'

Meeting an unexpected bottle neck, Ikumi had to drag Keima into the machine while Asami kept telling her twin sister not to make such a big fuss and just let him be if he doesn't want to.

'Uh uh! It's the first time that Asami-chan is willing to take a photo with a boy! So he WILL be taking this print with us!'

Stomping on his leg, Ikumi finally managed to pull the struggling Keima into the booth and in a matter of seconds, Ikumi made the selection without even consulting Asami, who looked a little panicked at the sudden turn of events.

'SAY CHEESE!'

Smiling brilliantly as her other companions wasn't that enthusiastic about the situation, Ikumi cheered as the stickers were printed out and she quickly divided the share of the stickers amongst the three of them.

'Hmm~ Katsuragi-kun should smile more! Asami-chan too, you look too stiff... I know, why don't you take another one together?'

Floating the question, Ikumi wasn't surprised when after a long period of silence, Asami shook her head and said that if Keima didn't want to, she didn't want to as well, causing her to frown before dropping the issue.

'Oh well, let's go on then!'

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

The time passed quickly with Ikumi commandeering the situation and the three of them were forced to go through many other games like Air-Hockey, Asami got the better of her sister here as her focus and reflexes made short work of her and trying out the racing machines in the arcade.

Their final trip was to the crane-machine aisles and it took a while before Keima was able to use his skills and manage to grab a stuff toy from the machine as a prize. He had to spend about a dozen tokens on them but he managed to do so in the end.

'That's adorable! Can I have it, please?'

Looking at the grey shark plushie, Keima asked Asami whether she wanted it but she shook her after a while.

'I... I-if Ikumi-chan wanted it...'

Asami desperately wanted the stuff toy as she had stared at it for quite some time before Keima had noticed and he wordlessly started dropping tokens into that particular machine despite Asami's protest. She hadn't expected him to catch her staring at it so much but right now she was really regretting that decision as Ikumi held out her hands happily.

'…!'

Only for the plush toy to be passed on along to her as Ikumi sighed once more with Keima shaking his head at her.

'K-keima-san... Asami-chan...'

'… Here, it's for you. Katsuragi-kun got it for you so I should take it.'

Winking at Asami, her twin sister pushed the plush toy into her hands firmly before saying that she got to go.

'I shouldn't be interrupting the love birds on their date anyway~'

Giggling, Ikumi made her exit just as quickly as she made her entrance, leaving the two of them together awkwardly before Keima led Asami out of the arcade and into the streets.

..

'Ano... Keima-san...'

'… Yoshino... No, Asami.'

'H-hai?'

Jumping in surprise at seeing him call her name, Asami blinked when Keima stopped and turned to face her abruptly, her face burning red as Keima spoke to her softly.

'Would you continue what you have been doing today? To be my side?'

For a moment Asami's mind just blanked out and it was only when she almost dropped her plush toy did she recover and grab hold of Keima's hands tightly in her show of appreciation.

'R-really? Really! Can I really do that? Can … Can I really stay by your side?'

It was like a dream come true and Keima sighed seeing her reaction.

'… It would take longer then I imagined for you to accept yourself, Asami.'

'Accept myself...?'

'… Yes, accept yourself... it is something that I cannot explain nor could I show you in a single day... so I'll ask you to stay by my side till you do.'

'I don't understand, Keima-san...'

'You... don't need to understand as it is something that you've... unfortunately acquired over the years. Despite your efforts... you are your worse enemy... what we need... no, what you need is to stop doubting yourself. To stop putting others before you... to accept the reality that you must, in most cases think for yourself... just like how I always do.'

'But... Keima-san is always so considerate and kind to others...'

'That is merely the illusion that you bought from me, Asami. You said it yourself... you know the pain of wearing a mask in front of others. I want you to take off that mask of yours... before you try to peek through mine.'

His tone was resigned but not hopeful as he offered a hand to Asami, the one girl who was similar and yet dissimilar to the **Capturing God** in many ways and the one who could but should not live the same life as he was leading.

'… Must... I do that?'

..

Timidly, she asked even as Keima nod his head firmly.

'Yes, you must... for you would only keep hurting and deceiving yourself. Pride yourself to be yourself, Asami... even if it might hurt others around you... for even I wouldn't be able to save you if you keep going down this path of destruction.'

'But... you promised that you would accept me, Keima-san!'

Hitting him weakly, Asami inhaled deeply as Keima leaned down, his hand cupping her chin as he looked down at her.

'I would... even if you break, even if there is nothing left of you... I would accept you for who you are... that's why I want you to try to express yourself more, to experience it even if it might hurt you... for that is... the only way that you would regain yourself. It is... no, it is not right that I should shelter you more than I should... but...'

'Keima-san... is too gentle... desho?'

'… Precisely. I promised you that I would accept you... and it is time for me to honour that promise.'

Looking away even as Asami laughed weakly and reached up to kiss him on the cheek, Katsuragi Keima nodded as Asami whispered that she'll do that. She'll promise to try and express herself more, to be herself, to be have different opinions and to stop getting along with others.

It'll be painful but if he was willing to shelter someone as 'fake' as she was, the person wearing the mask that had somehow been glued to her face, there was no reason for her not to try and rip that mask off.

Even if it might take a long, long time.

'As long as you never let go of my hand, Keima-san...'

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: The reason I took out Kanon from the poll was the fact that I <em>knew<em> everyone or most everyone would vote for Kanon.  
><strong>

**Kusonoki having the top vote surprised me though, with Chihiro the second. WHERE IS THE IKOMA LOVE PEOPLE!  
><strong>


	8. Her Smile

The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox

**Chapter 8: Her Smile**

**Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.**

..

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

**Written by: wrathie**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Thank you, <em>dongaro<em> for the beta-edit. he did a great job this time and so that's why this is delayed. Welcome him back to the crew everyone!  
><strong>

**R&R Please and NEW POLL TIME. Do vote as it's important to me!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

It was evening by the time Keima and Asami made it back to his house. They unfortunately or fortunately, caught Mari while she was closing the café for the day, causing her to almost faint in shock at seeing her son being accompanied home again.

'Ah, Katsuragi-san!'

Rushing forward, Asami managed to catch Mari, and she helped Mari to steady herself while Keima pulled the shutters of the shop down for his mother, something which he hadn't done for years.

They all say that love changes a person and although Mari was a prime example of this, she hadn't imagined that her son, Katsuragi Keima, would be one to reflect this as well.

Mari had the urge to pray to god today as she could tell that Asami was really a very nice girl, and for her to walk him home and to school meant that she really liked Keima. Not to mention him _allowing_ her to do so without rejecting her meant the situation was similar on Keima's side.

Whatever their reasons for being close were, it was a good thing, and after recovering from the initial shock, Mari once again invited Asami to stay for dinner while Keima watched on.

He hadn't specifically told Elsi that she had to stay away from him when he was out with the girls, but he supposed that Elsi knew of the saying: "Two's a company and Three's a crowd." It helped him to be alone with the girl who wanted him there though, so he wasn't about to complain.

What he was worried about was how Elsi seemed to be getting a little more perceptive and clingy towards him. The former wasn't something bad and he really appreciated the maturing of Elsi, to a certain extent of course.

It was her perception that had trapped him and resulted in this mess in the first place, so he had his own reservations about the matter.

That said, Keima did acknowledge that it was probably due to Elsi, and mostly Elsi's haggling and explanations, perhaps begging too, that he had gotten off relatively scot free from the girls' wrath.

Everyone knows not to incur a woman's wrath, and definitely not a teenage girl's wrath. And for Keima, who had pissed off around 10 separate individuals by 'cheating' on them, this was perhaps one of the best situations that could ever happen.

For the girls to forgive him, albeit grudgingly and not to expose New Hell's identity, this scenario was something that embraced the best of both worlds.

Perhaps it was better having the girls thrash it out amongst themselves, and there was merit in saying that if it's not broken, why fix it?

They might be influenced by their own emotions when he was involved and with his absence they were able to come up with this acceptable plan of redemption for him.

..

Katsuragi Keima, the **Capturing God,** knew that he was soft and perhaps easily exploited when the girls pursued him instead of the other way around, but there was nothing stopping him from 'capturing' them again in the first place.

Thus the dilemma with Asami; he didn't necessarily have a soft spot for the girl, he reserved those for Minami and Kanon after all, but he just couldn't ignore the girl who desperately needed and required help.

It might be haughty, no, preposterous for him to give that assessment as he was not a doctor or by any standards, or someone qualified to judge Asami.

But his games and his status as the **Capturing God** told him otherwise, and he was fairly confident in his assessment of Asami.

She would need more help to get past this stage. Yes he had captured her, and yes, she had opened up to him, but it wasn't going to be nearly enough for her to accept herself; to put herself in front.

Sure, she might be able to do that in the end with a supportive sister like Ikumi, but it would be best if he could help with the situation as well.

He wasn't responsible, but he had the obligation to see the ending with his own eyes, and he wanted to do at least that.

'… what do the others feel then?'

He asked out loud suddenly, causing the other two girls to look at him in confusion.

'No, it's nothing... shall I walk you back to the main road, Yoshino?'

Offering absent-mindedly, Keima walked the happy Asami away while Mari just stared at the two of them in disbelief. Things were really changing around here, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'What were you thinking about earlier, Keima-san?'

Asking him as they made their way slowly towards the intersection, Keima blinked and looked up from his game at her question. Had she always been so perceptive of his thoughts?

'I... have been observing Keima-san for quite some time now... I... recognize the look that Keima-san has when he is thinking about something.'

Admitting bashfully, Asami was rewarded with Keima by flashing another one of those lonely smiles as he nodded.

'Yes, that is right, I have forgotten... Please forgive me for that, Yoshino.'

'No, no... it's alright... after all, I'm the one at fault for... asking that question.'

Asami felt a little awkward, as she knew that Keima was thinking about other things and perhaps about other people. To tell the truth she really had no idea so many people liked, or were affected by Keima-san until the gathering she had with the other girls that were involved.

She had been intimidated by many of them; in particular Takahara Ayumi, Fuse Aoba and Kasuga Kusonoki for various reasons.

Takahara Ayumi, as she had always been the life of the class, one of the more popular girls in their grade and someone whom Asami aspired to be like.

Fuse Aoba, as she was an individual who was famous throughout the entire school for being an ice-princess, someone that she tried to be but failed miserably as she couldn't refuse anyone who approached her.

Kasuga Kusonoki; as she was, in Asami opinion, the perfect individual and someone who Asami looked to as a role model.

If all of those girls liked him, how would she even stand a chance in comparison?

Thus she had been one of the few individuals like Ayumi and Minami to jump to his defence initially and after careful considerations, they had ended up with this arrangement.

Yes, it could have been better and yes, there might be amendments to be added and people who might have benefited from it more like her; but it was something that they all agreed on.

The unwritten but understood rules of non-interference, spying and peeping applied to all of them, and thus Asami felt privileged to be one of the few to be able to spend more time with him than the rest.

She head heard about how Minami's date with Keima went from her and some hints from Kanon about hers during school. The girls had gotten relatively close thanks to Keima, and despite their differences and her apprehensiveness in approaching some of the rest, Asami felt that the bond she shared with the girls were growing to be just as important to her as well.

All of them were people who valued Katsuragi Keima, and individuals who viewed him favourably and who might do anything for him.

As they all say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, doesn't that apply to friends as well? If they were people that helped Keima-san, there was nothing for Asami to hold against them.

Either way, Asami still wanted to share his burdens and she spoke up timidly to the boy who had asked her to do just that.

..

'If it's alright... may I know what you were thinking about, Keima-san?'

Her voice was barely a whisper and she had to repeat herself to get his attention. But when she did, Keima replied almost instantly as he stopped walking and instead looked up at the darkening sky instead.

'What do you feel about the situation, Yoshino... what do the others feel?'

Asami didn't know what he was talking about and it took some time before he continued with her patiently standing by his side until he was ready, a promise to herself that she would make right now.

'What happened is in the past, what... I am concerned about is the future along with the present. All of it... all of it is something that is out of my control. I've tried my best, what I deemed was right in helping all of you before, to guide all of you through your troubles. I... I'm not sure I've done just what I wanted to accomplish, Yoshino. That is the dilemma here. Have I made a mistake somewhere? Should I have done something differently?'

'But you did... you tried your best, didn't you? That's... why Keima-san was able to reach here.'

Asami's eyes widened and she gave a small squeak of surprise when he suddenly gripped her shoulders. The pressure he applied on her shoulders wasn't painful, not yet anyway and as it increased in pressure, Asami saw doubt in his normally clear eyes and it scared her to see that in him.

She had thought Keima to be a person that knew what he was doing, confident in his actions so what had rattled him so much?

'I-is it my fault? I'm sorry if I said something to offend you... It... it hurts, Keima-san!'

Asami was an individual that was easily intimidated and she panicked quickly, apologizing and begging Keima to release her, something which he did and he apologized to her immediately after that while Asami tried to get her breath back and her feelings in check.

There were tears forming around her eyes from the shock and fear but she rallied herself after seeing how down Keima was.

'It's... it's my fault, isn't it, Keima-san?'

Asami tried again and after getting no response, she tried to be a little more assertive so she reached out to squeeze his hand bravely.

'… I always appreciated what Keima-san tried to do for me... whether for better or worse... I would never regret meeting Keima-san, nor dislike you for what you have tried to do... I... I can't speak for the others, Keima-san... but as for me, I... am grateful to you.'

It was as if a small burden was lifted off his shoulders and Keima's eyes looked a little clearer. For Asami's part, she was ecstatic that she was able to help him out, even if it was just a little.

'I... suppose that is a start... Thank you, Yoshino...'

The conversation ceased after that but Asami felt like she had done more today in the last 5 minutes than she had in the entire day.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Ah, good evening, Kami-Onii-sama~"

Elsi greeted him happily,.Keima nodded and joined his family for dinner; his head still working through his own thoughts. Asami's dilemma had left a sour taste in his mouth as he realized he really didn't know what the girls thought were about the situation up till now.

No, he had thought about it, but hadn't thought that their opinions mattered.

What mattered then was the removal of the Weiss as well as his subsequent capture of all of them... That had been the case, but after spending the day with Yoshino Asami, he began wondering whether he had been intruding into matters that he had no business to meddle in the first place.

Yes, the issue of the Weiss was a point in his favour but like Haqua said, he was the only individual who tried to capture Weiss using 'love'. Did the girls want to fall in love with him? No, obviously not as if they did, they wouldn't have had that gap in their hearts right?

No, that's not the point... if they wanted to fall in love with him...

'That's not the point at all.'

Keima decided suddenly and from the confused looks Elsi and Mari gave him, he must have spoken that out loud.

'I'm sorry...'

Apologizing, Keima retreated back to his own shell while contemplating the issue at hand.

The girls eventually fell in love with him because of him and the actions he took for them. The actions were irrelevant as they were things that proved his nature, dedication and personality traits that might appeal to them.

Yes, he might have displayed the traits that they needed to relate with, done things that would have touched them... that meant that he was not forcing the outcome at all, in a sense anyway. He was no saint and he recognized that there were times when his hands were forced, the best plans might go awry and he would have to make preventive measures as he saw fit.

If they had not been expecting or hoping for that outcome, would he have been able to 'capture' them and chase away the Weiss at all?

'… I don't know...'

Mumbling to himself, Keima acknowledged and admitted that he was the **Capturing God **and he prided, no, he was supposed to be an individual capable to capture every and any girl when he set his mind to.

The girls who were his targets were all possessed by the Weiss and that made them of them had weaknesses which he could exploit and thus, made it remarkably easy for him to capture them once he figured out their individual ending.

'In the end, I'm just forcing my own will on them. Is that it?'

He spoke aloud again and this time he didn't bother apologizing. But instead moved away from the table, leaving his half-finished dinner even as Mari asked him to come back to finish dinner.

'Keima-kun, you shouldn't leave the table without asking to be excused, it's rude!'

'Ohka-sama...'

Feeling Elsi holding and pulling her back, Mari looked down to see Elsi begging her to let him go, at least for now.

'Kami-Onii-sama... he is worried about something. Please, let him have some time alone.'

Mari's eyes widen as she saw her daughter mature right in front of her eyes. She herself had known that she didn't know Keima as much as she would have liked and she was happy to see there were someone willing and happy to understand him.

'Alright...'

Giving him the time and space he needed, the two closest woman in Katsuragi Keima's life let him be while he sorted out his thoughts.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

So had he truly done what he aspired to do? Did he give the girls their desired ending at all? Or had he just abused his powers to get what he wanted while destroying the hopes of the girls in the process.

That was a conundrum that he was facing now, as spending the day with Yoshino Asami placed to rest the idea that he had in fact granted the girl's their dreams.

Asami could be an exception but he... he wouldn't know the whole truth till he met with all the girls, and Keima acknowledged the fact that Asami could be just too polite or infatuated with him to say the truth.

That he ruined her life, and she wished that he hadn't interfered at all, or at least not in the way that he had.

Keima would never know... but he was sure of at least one thing, Yoshino Asami was not an individual who could hide things from him, she was saying the truth.

Her answer brought some relief for him, and now he had to consider the others... especially when his train of thoughts was going to the worse case scenario.

Yes, he had liberated all the girls from the Weiss, but like Haqua mentioned, there were other methods of doing so... So was his method of filling them with 'love' the right one?

Could it be done in other manners and most importantly, do the girls themselves... what did the girls themselves feel?

..

He had met many of the girls that he had captured so far, and up till now, all of them had been grateful for his interference in their lives.

Kusonoki for changing her mindset about her own problems, and letting her embrace her innate desires together with her responsibilities.

Kanon for she had really, really fallen in love with him and so he wouldn't comment much on her status.

Tsukiyo was an exception in a way, as he had given her exactly what she wanted before, while chasing the Weiss away. It was the same for Chihiro, he had given her the strength and faith needed to move on...

The last was a little tricky to classify as she still wanted his assistance even now but he hand-waved that away as Chihiro just required some reassurance about for her efforts, showing that her old problem had not carried over to the relationship they shared now.

No, Ikoma Minami and Yoshino Asami were the two girls that challenged his notion. He had perhaps passed over Minami due to his admitted soft spot to her, but Yoshino Asami was enlightening and troubling.

Even though they themselves found the situation to be an ideal one and what they wanted, Keima could no longer assume that the rest of the girls thought the same.

'… Tomorrow... huh?'

He had a long night ahead to prepare himself for the repercussions, especially if the next person who wanted him was Aoyama Mio.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Good Morning, Kami-Onii-sama...'

Greeting him again, Keima stopped and took time to observe Elsi. Despite his thoughts the day before, the demon girl was actually being quite pensive, signalling that something was on her mind.

'… Kami-Onii-sama?'

'Is something wrong, Elsi?'

Elsi was not a target but she was family, and Keima was not letting anything disturb the peace in this household if he could help it. Not only was the real world troublesome enough outside of his home, he didn't want the chaos to spread inside his home as well.

'… Nothing, Kami-Onii-sama...'

Elsi knew she couldn't hide anything from anyone, and it was made worse when Keima and Haqua knew exactly what to look out for. The young devil looked away unhappily as Keima simply stood there, waiting and probing her with his eyes alone.

'Uwaaa... that's mean, Kami-Onii-sama...'

Pouting as she gave up and started mixing her half-boiled eggs with the soy sauce, Elsi breathed easier when Keima sat down beside her and dug into breakfast as well.

'Out with it, Elsi. What did you screw up on again?'

Elsi considered the truth, that she was jealous and starving for attention and immediately dumped those thoughts in the rubbish bin. It was silly and she was totally _not_ jealous even though she was. Anyway, there were other things that she was worried about and she made up her mind as quickly, as she could...

To Keima, it was interesting to see the signs signalling the different thoughts going through Elsi's mind, and like he suspected, it seemed she was indeed getting more perceptive and more independent.

She still couldn't conceal her thoughts from him or anyone in general, but he knew that was a good thing as well. It could be called a miracle how she was able to hide that she had been meeting the girls in secret, but Keima assumed that he had taken Elsi for granted then, thus resulting in his predicament. There were, of course more important things for them to handle after all.

..

'Kami-Onii-sama... I was just thinking... that it'll be difficult for us to hunt Weiss down in the future, desho?'

Speaking her mind, Elsi continued as Keima nodded his head in agreement. That was true; it'd be more difficult for them to approach any other girls if the current ones remained clingy.

That said, there shouldn't be a concern as the captured girls were more or less briefed on the subject of their objectives, and should be more understanding regarding the matter. Whether the new girl herself could cope with the situation _if_ she retained her memory after the capture was another concern though and Keima highlighted his thoughts to Elsi.

'Ah... that's true... well, we'll ask Ayumi-chan and the rest to talk to her then... I'm just worried that Kami-Onii-sama would have difficult asking everyone to let you do our work...'

Squirming in her seat, Keima knew that Elsi was worried for herself as well. Since she was part of the Weiss hunting squad. So that meant that her livelihood was at stake as well.

'In any case, you should highlight it to them as well, no?'

'I can't do that... if I did they might be in danger from New Hell...'

'Well, basically they are already exposed to most of the secrets that we aren't supposed to tell, no?'

Shaking her head, Keima blinked as Elsi explained that they had been quite vague on the subject as well.

'They just know that... me and Haqua are different... and we didn't give them any details about what we were doing... Haqua said we shouldn't in case they met with danger.'

Keima nodded and applauded Haqua's decision. In hindsight he realized that he had come upon the issue with Kusonoki as well and he had declined to tell her more. So perhaps it was for the best as well.

'Well, we'll have to come up with something, but right now we need to head to school today...'

'Ah that's right, Kami-Onii-sama needs to pick up Mio-chan today right?'

Smiling as she got up from her seat, Elsi asked if he needed some help today, but Keima shook his head in disagreement.

'I'll be fine... thank you, Elsi.'

He offered softly, but he missed the blush appearing on Elsi's face as she hurriedly ran off.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Ah, you're finally here, commoner.'

Flicking her hair backwards to show her discontent, Keima had to admit that the image of a distinguished rich girl suited Mio; as she gave off the cold and haughty impression quite well.

That is if she wasn't wearing an apron together with a headscarf that gave her the look of domestic help rather than a rich girl. The image was made complete by her holding a small broom while she swept the front gate of her home.

Mio's home was as not as how he remembered it. It was still small but was now remarkably clean. It was like someone had scrubbed the house, and applied a new layer of paint. But he didn't have the time to admire the place and instead was greeted by Mio pulling the apron and the headscarf off, stuffing it into her bag and approaching him.

'Well, take my bag, commoner.'

Coldly ordering him, Keima was left with no choice as he took the bag from Mio and carefully placed in into the basket of the bike he was riding.

Yes, he was back to being the loyal follower of Aoyama Mio; and despite her not stating that before, Keima reckoned that was what she expected of him.

'… Well... I never expected a ride to school anyway... but you can't be late, you hear?'

If her tsundere qualities were as intact as he suspected, he was wrong about his initial assessment but it was only a minor setback at best.

'Shall we go then, Aoyama-san.'

Pulling his cap down, Keima almost lost balance when Mio told him to call her by her name.

'It's Mio-sama, commoner, I wouldn't accept anything else.'

With a small blush, Mio struggled to get on the back seat of the bike before Keima helped her up, and the two of them set off for school together.

'Ah!'

As usual, Mio found herself reaching out to hold Keima's waist for support as the journey was a little too bumpy for her liking.

'S-stupid! It's not like I wanted to do that or anything!'

Keima could only smile and shake his head at the development of the tsundere girl. If anything she didn't change that much... well, at least that applied to her personality.

..

The journey to school was as uneventful as it was quiet, Mio didn't seem to be a in talkative mood and Keima wasn't particularly known for being talkative unless necessary either. As Keima knew before hand that it was best not to talk too much to a tsundere girl, especially when she's still a little tsun-tsun in he morning. He had decided to keep quiet and wait for Mio to get the conversation going in the first place.  
>When she failed, the two of them just kept silent and enjoyed the ride to school together. It might be Keima's imagination but Mio seemed a little heavier since the last time he ferried her to school and although he suspected that was due to her work, he was not going to question or ask her about that. Weight was something that every girl was sensitive about and it was a death sentence asking a tsundere girl about it.<p>

Aoyama Mio, was his second capture and one that made him realize how difficult it was to capture a girl in real life. Unlike in a game, one cannot simply press an option and wait for the event to trigger. He had to earn every single interaction and make it count. There are no save files, quick save or load functions in real life after all.

But most important was how much stamina and physical endurance he needed to make everything work.

If Takahara Ayumi, his first capture, was the capture that told him that the real world can be 'captured' as well, Aoyama Mio was the girl who told him that it was never going to be as easy as in the games.

That said, Aoyama Mio wasn't really the norm either, the 'first ending' that he had seen was inaccurate and he had to readjust his method to ensure that she was captured in the end.

The gap in her heart was her attachment to the past and the refusal to accept her father's death, two factors that were making it difficult for her to live in the present.

The past was holding her back and it was up to Keima to persuade her to move forward in the end, drawing lessons and memories from the past to ensure that her future self would be to look back at those memories with pride and with relief as well.

Keima knew that it had been a close call and his 'capture' had just been as likely to fail as it was to succeed, and he had been relieved when it ended just as he expected it to be.

Like with most of the captures, Keima did not know the amount of affection level he had with the girls, and although every single instance had ended up well, Keima knew that his first few attempts were close to failure due to the large amount of time needed for them to decide that he was the more important figure.

For Mio it was him against her father, the father that held her back and Keima who wanted to see more of her true self. The internal struggle must have been difficult for her and he was glad that he had won over the image of her father in her heart.

Even if that meant that after the memory modification, Mio's lingering attachment with Keima was replaced by 'another individual' and his efforts and rewards were taken by another.

That brought the issue back to the question that Keima had been asking himself the last night.

Did Mio still accept or is grateful for his interference or did she resent him for pulling the wool over her eyes?

..

'Hey... Commoner? Commoner...? k...Hey!'

Hitting him on the arm, Keima turned to see Mio looking at him crossly while sticking her hand out to him.

'Ah?'

'My bag, commoner... give me my bag.'

Passing Mio her bag, Keima waited for several moments as Mio just stood there, tapping her heels as she stared at him.

'Erm... Aoyama-sama...'

'I said, call me Mio-sama... and I'm waiting for you to park your bicycle. Must I tell you everything?'

Crossing her arms and scoffing at him, Mio cracked a rare smile as she saw Keima doing just that; wheeling his bicycle away while she waited for him by leaning against the pillar.

'Ah, Mio-san.'

Blinking in surprise as she was greeted by someone she knew, a certain Yoshino Asami, Mio raised an eyebrow as Asami bowed to her and passed her something.

'Mio-san... I understand that you are going out with Keima-san today so if you don't mind... could you pass this to Keima-san? Mari-san, Keima-san's mother asked me to pass this to him. Would you, please?'

Bowing to her respectfully, Asami wasn't surprised when Mio shook her head and demanded her to tell her why she should do that.

'I'm sure Keima-san would be happy if you shared lunch with him today, Mio-san. Am I not wrong?'

Actually that was what Mio planned and she nodded her head sceptically while explaining.

'I'll do that... but that would be cheating, I prepared... some today.'

Mio said so with a straight face and Asami nodded in agreement, even giggling a little as she saw Mio blush red with her confession.

'Well then, I shouldn't get in the way. Mio-san, I wish you an enjoyable day ahead.'

Bowing to her again, Asami took her leave after Mio nodded to her. The moment Asami left though, Mio was left sweating nervously as the lunch that she wanted to share with Keima was her daily yakisoba bread.

'W-what do I do?'

She asked herself worriedly and she jumped when Keima returned behind her.

'Is there something wrong?'

'KYA! Don't do that!'

Wincing as Mio stepped on his foot before stomping off. Keima was left wondering what happened as he followed her to class.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Good morning, Keima-kun.'

Greeting him as he entered class, Kanon rushed over to his seat to the surprise of most of the boys in class. A few of them could be seen gnashing their teeth in jealousy as Kanon spoke with Keima about what had been happening lately.

'And then, and then, Okada-san said that I'll be able to take a week off soon! I'll be able to come to class and to spend time with everyone here~'

Smiling as Ayumi and Chihiro gathered around Kanon, Keima could see that there was a strong and distinctive bond between all the captured girls. Perhaps Elsi was right in the sense that they would be supportive of whatever he did in the future.

'Ohayo everyone!'

Bursting into the room with the energy of a hurricane, Haqua did a double take when she saw Keima surrounded by the girls and she was promptly knocked over when an anxious Elsi followed her example as well.

It seemed like Haqua was fast becoming a gag character under the influence, or the coercion, of Fuse Aoba. The **Mai-Hime** appeared soon after that while nodding her head.

'That's right, a genki archetype fits you the best, Haqua... well then, good morning everyone.'

Following their example and gathering together around Keima's desk, the girls spoke to each other while Keima concentrated on his games and listened in at the same time.

The girls were used to his preference for his games now, and although it was still a little disconcerting, they understood him more when they confronted Fuse Aoba about it than before, and they decided to let sleeping dogs lie, especially when he could still give coherent and intelligent replies while multi-tasking like that.

All in all, a development in Keima's life that he didn't need but was still an eye-opener to everyone around him.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'W-well... does it taste... okay?'

Mio had all but given up after her attempt at culinary class netted her with nothing more than soggy undercooked meat and vegetables even under the help of her classmates. She had even thanked them for their efforts, making today even more humiliating for her after she offered Keima a yakisoba bread for lunch.

She had developed a craving for the bread, or could one say an enjoyment for the bread, despite wolfing down a large amount of them during those dark days.

They were delicious, a little pricey perhaps but overall a good lunch for her. One supposed that her small size and stature made it that way but she digressed.

'It'll do, thank you, Mio-sama.'

Mio blinked but blushed at the same time after hearing him faithfully calling him by the name she wanted him to call her, and she looked away as Keima continued eating the bread.

'Well, of course it does... it's a gift from me to you. It should always taste fine.'

Puffing her little chest out, Mio stretched a little before going back to her own bread, and she spent some time chewing on it before Keima asked her what their plan was for today.

'Ah, I'm going to head to work today, so you'll help out too. I won't be paying you a salary though~'

Mio smiled mischievously before she realized it and she turned away again while Keima nodded her head.

'As you wish, Mio-sama...'

There was a sign of awkwardness between them that Mio couldn't explain... he was just too... pensive and quiet today. Granted, she knew she wasn't the easiest person to talk to, as she carried herself differently than most. It just couldn't be helped, you know, she was the chairman's daughter, someone who was above them all.

Even if she was poor, something the acknowledged, she was still special. So what was bugging the commoner today?

'… Is there something wrong, commoner? You aren't your usual self today.'

Keima was amused that she could pick it up, Mio wasn't the brightest one in the whole group when it came to such things, but if even she could see him hesitating, it was really affecting him more than he had imagined.

'There is... but at the moment, I'm afraid it would make things more difficult if I told you what the matter was, Mio-sama.'

Mio nodded as she continued to chew her bread, kicking her legs in the process as they spent lunch time together in a bench on the rooftop. She didn't want to pry but she had been approached and teased by some of her classmates about coming to school together with the Otamegane, and she had to snap at them a little harder than usual for them to back off.

How dare they mock someone who had helped her go through a difficult phase in her life?

..

Yes, Mio wasn't embarrassed to admit it now, but it was really a bad period in her life and she was at one of the lowest point in her life when Katsuragi Keima had waltzed in to and saved both her and her pride from taking a huge fall.

There had been rumours going around that she was no longer rich, and she knew now that it was inevitable that she would soon be taking a huge fall if she continued to hold her pride above everything else.

Katsuragi Keima had helped her to soften that inevitable egg in the face by being her personal manservant for those few days, and even if she didn't like to admit it, she had really enjoyed having someone who could accept her for who she was for those few days.

She was grateful to him, even if she would not tell him that directly and thus all she could do was to help out in the smaller ways; ways that he wouldn't know she was meddling in.

'Hmph, I guess I can wait for the commoner to beg me for help.'

Smirking at him, Mio managed to keep eye contact for a while before looking away as the awkward silence descended on them again. She never really did know how to talk with people and her friends, if she could count them as such, were people that could tolerate her arrogance. That was the sad fact of her life, but she guessed she shouldn't complain too much as she liked it that way.

'After all, I'm a magnanimous and all encompassing person~'

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

Keima didn't know what to make of the situation here as he donned the same work clothes that Mio had on; as they took over the next shift from the other employees of the bread store.

He hadn't known that Mio was working part-time here, and he had been stunned when Mio passed him the clothes as he parked the bicycle near the shop.

'Try not to get into my way, do you hear me, commoner?'

Crossing her arm and sounding a little pissed, Mio had left Keima to his own devices and started work, going around the store to arrange the bread while he looked on.

This was indeed a surprise. Aoyama Mio had indeed moved on and in a big way, as he didn't think that she could lower her pride so much to work part-time anywhere. Well, he had doubts about her customer service skills, and he was vindicated when Mio snapped at the first customer that stepped into the store.

'Don't get the floor wet, commoner! There's that cover for your umbrella over there!'

Being as sharp as always, Keima was surprised and shocked to see the customer, an elderly woman chuckle softly while commenting how Mio was being as sharp tongued as always.

'Thank you for reminding me again, Mio-chan.'

'It's not like I really wanted to do that, you know?'

Blushing as she continued to arrange the bread, Keima was amused to see how the elderly woman coaxed Mio to part with a few of the older breads for a discount and she thanked Mio as she paid her over at the counter while Mio was running the cashier.

'Well then, till tomorrow, Mio-chan.'

'D-don't come back again, you hear!'

Sighing as she waved back, Mio turned to see Keima smiling at her and she lost it again, throwing a pencil at him while howling at him to start work.

'Sweep the floor or something! You're here to work, not to stand there and be a statue, you commoner!'

..

As the day passed, Keima decided that the Bread Store should be renamed Tsundere Shoppe as Mio displayed the same haughtiness throughout the entire day regardless of who entered and for the most part, got away scot free with it.

The elderly customers found her energy and spunk to be amusing, and the regular housewives found Mio to be a tad rude, but still adorable nonetheless and treated her like one of their children. The random high school student just found her antics to be predictable and for Keima, reassuring to watch.

It must have been difficult for her to find a job, or to muster the determination to go through this every day. But from how used she was with the daily running of the shops she had been here for quite a while.

'Alright, it's time for us to stop work, commoner.'

Wiping the sweat from her forehead and smiling as she saw Keima finishing up with the cleaning, Aoyama Mio blushed when she saw Keima smiling at him. It wasn't the first time that she had seen him smiling at her but it still shocked her nonetheless. To think that such a gloomy individual would look so different while smiling.

'Good work, Mio-sama...'

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'I... I wanted to let you see what I've been doing... Katsuragi.'

As Keima dropped Mio off at her front door, Mio spoke up and referred to him by his name.

'… a lot has happened and things changed. I can't say for certain... what I feel towards you, but I do know one thing.'

Aoyama Mio, the tsundere ojou-chan and the one that had up till now, still treated him like a commoner, someone lower than him, was addressing Katsuragi Keima evenly as though they were in the same level.

'I am grateful to you, Katsuragi... For what you have done for me... and for all the things that you've endured for me... I didn't know that then, that I was putting you through so many unfair things.'

Mio must have really gone through a lot before all of them accepted her for who she was, many job interviews, much contradicting and people who didn't find her tsundere traits to be amusing. Her life... did change after he interfered, but he wasn't sure whether it was for the best.

'But I know now... and despite all that, I am grateful, Katsuragi. For you reminded me of how papa would have wanted me to live on.'

Mio flicked her hair back as she leaned against her door, looking away from Keima, even as the person she was indebted to stared back at her. She knew it was rude, but she didn't know what she would do if she was to face him now.

She still had to sort out her feelings for him. It was odd and it was... very vague, nothing like the burning passion they described in movies.

'… So do not feel regret about what you did for me. What you should regret is... letting me, your master, wait for you and you leaving me, commoner.'

Narrowing her eyes, Mio watched a shudder of fear travel up his spine, and she laughed again, happily this time before pulling the door open.

'Katsuragi... a long time ago you said that you wanted to see more of my smiles...'

She smiled back at him again before closing the door in front of him.

'You'll see them if you continue to serve me.'

..

Shaking his head, Katsuragi Keima knew that he had been outfoxed by the ojou-chan this time but he felt strangely satisfied, as if he was vindicated.

The girls were all moving on in their own ways after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: Trivia time, Takahara Ayumi's Seiyuu: Taketatsu Ayana was the Seiyuu for Isurugi Mio from MM! and that was the impression I got when i wrote this.<strong>

**An additional note would be that Haqua's Seiyuu: Hayami Saori was the Seiyuu for Arashiko Yuno from MM! too. Anyway, those two had their roles reversed to some extent but do check out the series, a fun series to read.  
><strong>

**Lastly, the seiyuu for Nyarlko in this seasons: Hayoire! Nyalrko, Asumi Kana, was the seiyuu for Kosaka Chihiro and I have a hard time picturing Chihiro's image over Nyarlko.  
><strong>

**Lastly, lastly, despite my biasness and preference for Hanazawa Kana (Shiori's seiyuu), I did not choose her to be the Main Heroine in Sorrel's Teasing due to that at all!  
><strong>


	9. Her Story

The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox

**Chapter 9: Her Story**

**Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.**

..

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

**Written by: wrathie**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: I know this is an understatement but Hanazawa Kana (Shiori's Seiyuu) has the most incredible voice! Sadly Shiori doesn't speak much... but her Character Cover Album Song is amazing! To catch her in action, I recommend watching BakeNise-monogatari or Steins;Gate.**

**This chapter is brought to you with the help of _dongaro_ as the beta-editor!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

Keima had been unusually pensive over the past few days but considering his company had been with Mio and Asami, one could hardly blame him for being a little... calculating.

The former was less of a chore and Keima did really enjoy his time with the girl, the latter however was a girl who he'd rather keep a distance from.

That said, the day had gone by quite well and he found himself accepting himself more, if that was even possible at all, as seeing Aoyama Mio moving forward in her life was something of a relief.

Despite his interference or perhaps due to that same interference was she able to pick up the pieces of her life and live her life strongly. There wasn't a need for him to push her forward in this scenario and Keima was eternally grateful for that.

He had his hands full with the rest of the girls, especially Nakagawa Kanon who had sent him several messages asking whether he'll be free to meet up over the weekend with the rest of the girls.

Come to think of it, he has not given any of the other girls his mailing address. Sure, they had his cell number but as he had the bad habit to turn his phone off, mailing him was the easiest way to contact him.

He wasn't ready to reply Kanon though, but he had the nagging feeling that if he didn't, the mails would continue to enter his inbox and he picked up his PFP to start his reply when she saw another notification that made him pay attention.

Scratch that, Fuse Aoba was another individual who had discovered his mailing address and although she never did tell him her mailing address, her address was an easy guess as his.

**mai_hime zumcities . co. jp **to think that she was using the same host as he did, how much did she want to copy about him anyway,

'Kami-Onii-sama, dinner is ready!'

Elsi knocked on his door and was promptly greeted by the door opening wide and almost knocking him over.

'W-whaaa? What's wrong, Kami-Onii-sama?'

'What is the meaning of this?'

Screaming at Elsi as he shoved the PFP to Elsi, the little demon was unsure how to react till she saw the contents of the message.

..

_[Dear __**Capturing God**__, Katsuragi Keima,_

_This is my request, please be at Disneyland this Saturday at 9am sharp. I, no, we, would wish to spend the day with you._

_You cannot refuse, as there are no grounds for you to do so._

_-Best Regards_

_**Mai-hime, **__Fuse Aoba._

_P.S: Bring Elsi with you]_

..

This was ridiculous, why should he agree to such a request! It was obviously a ploy to get all of them there at the same time! Keima could smell a trap a mile away, but it was as Fuse had said, there was no escaping his fate or this request after all.

The most he could do was try to make sense of the situation and make it less difficult for him.

Information was power and in this case, it was detrimental to find out what they wanted of him over at Disneyland. It wasn't his first visit to the place, he had been there three times.

The first time was when he went out to help capture Amami Tooru, the second was on a group date with Yoshino Asami, and the third was with a 'date' with Haqua.

None of those occasions, with an exception for perhaps the third time was for pleasure or for fun, and he started to have his reservations about the place.

'Tell me, did Fuse tell you anything at all about this, Elsi?'

Demanding and looming over the little devil angrily, Keima deduced that Elsi was saying the truth when she shook her head, shivering and blushing in fear as Keima held her down on the floor.

'I see... so you do not know what she is planning.'

Keima groaned as he released Elsi and pulled the younger demon up to her feet. Out of all the girls, the one girl whose eccentricity matched his own was Fuse Aoba, and he feared the girl-genius as much as he feared Kasuga Kusonoki's punches and strength. She was a girl who had been smart enough, cunning enough, as well as sharp enough to look through almost every single page in the book and to make a fool out of him in more than one occasion.

But in a way, since she had issued her request, the time for all this silliness to end was near at hand as there was only one other individual whom Keima had not met with or had replied with her 'request' for him.

That girl was someone who was close to him and yet, so far away. Either way, she'd have to give an answer soon or so Keima hoped.

As the saying goes: 'Better the evil that I know, then the evil I do not' desho?

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'How was your day, Keima-kun?'

Mari had been curious about the development in Keima's life, and of course the girls that he had been seeing. As his mother, she was naturally curious as to who he was actually friends with or going out with.

The first girl that she met, that Kujyo Tsukiyo girl seemed nice, if a little young and quiet. One could say that she was a clone of Keima in some ways and so Mari felt that the girl didn't have much of a future with Keima.

However, if she was indeed the girl who was going out with Keima, she had quite a high chance in doing so; due to the fact that she had dinner with all of them. Mari would die to know who was the one confessed to Keima. She wanted to know all the juicy details as Tsukiyo was simply too mysterious to pass up.

The other girl was Yoshino Asami, a girl who lived a few streets away and someone who Mari would love to see as Keima's girlfriend. If she was going out with him, Mari would finally be able to set her mind to rest about Keima.

Sure, she had been very relieved the moment Elsi arrived in their home and after it seemed that Keima did accept Elsi as part of the family.

The saying goes: Blood is thicker than water and it seemed to apply perfectly for Elsi. As despite their differences, one was rarely seen without the other.

Yoshino Asami was the very definition of a clique and standard packaged High School Girl, with all the pros and none of the cons. She was polite, a little quiet perhaps but hard-working, eager to please and most importantly, hopelessly infatuated to her son.

Mari had always wondered when Keima's 'spring' and it seemed like it had finally happened and Mari was glad to see at least a few girls after her son. It was about time too as Keima was such a handsome at the start.

When had it started to go wrong?

Either way, since it had all turned out for the best, Mari was happy and satisfied as a huge load had been lifted off her shoulders.

'Did you get the lunch I passed Asami-chan today? I was a little late in preparing it, so I had to give it to her... you didn't wait for her today, did you? It isn't good for a boy to make the girl wait.'

Before Keima could comment though, Elsi interrupted by saying that it was mean of Keima not to eat the lunch that was prepared by Mari.

'I had it for lunch, Oka-sama... it's really delicious! But Oka-sama, Kami-Onii-sama went out to meet Mio-chan today, so please don't be mad at him.'

Elsi didn't understand why Keima suddenly choked on the rice he was eating while Mari's brow furrowed at hearing the news.

..

So, there was yet _another_ girl that Keima was involved with? What was with all the girls that wanted her son? And why were they all popping out of the blue day after day? Had he been seeing girls without her knowing it? From Elsi's words, it seemed that it was something normal, and Mari narrowed her eyes even as Keima concentrated on his food.

It was too suspicious to be normal and Mari cleared her throat, plastered a fake smile on her face and glared at Keima, demanding answers from her son.

'Well, it seems that our son has became quite popular with the girls... Kujyo-chan, Asami-chan... and now Mio-chan? Do all the girls know about this?'

Mari's anger dissipated the moment Keima nodded his head and he even seemed a little relieved when he said that they did.

'All of them know that I'm meeting her today, that was why Asami didn't have to visit today... Are you certain you never called her over today?'

It was his turn to question his mother and Mari found herself driven to a corner when she least expected it. Yes, she had prepared the lunch to aid in Asami's quest to try and confess to Keima.

Mari figured that if there was one way for Keima to obtain or to have a girl-friend, the girl would have to take the initiative and she offered Asami a free pass to Keima.

Mari was saved from further interrogation when Keima simply dropped the subject and went back to his dinner, causing Mari to swallow a little as she decided that she might have to change her opinion about her son after all.

'Your father... he was quite the player when he was young... but he changed after he married me, or so I hoped anyway... the way he confessed to me in front of the guys was the most important thing in my life and it still is.'

Stating out of the blue, Mari looked at her son and daughter to ensure that they were paying attention to her and she continued.

'So, Keima-kun, Elsi-chan... your first confession is the most important event in your world. Nothing will prepare you for that.'

She stated triumphantly but was greeted with silence from the two of them, Keima seemingly fighting the urge to smirk while Elsi avoided her gaze.

'W-what's wrong? Is there something wrong? I'm saying the truth!'

'We never doubted that.'

Keima stated calmly before going back to his games and Mari was even more confused when she saw Elsi nodding her head as well.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'So it has came down to this.'

Resting after finishing his homework for the day, Katsuragi Keima considered his next target, the girl who wanted to be with him for tomorrow, Shiomiya Shiori.

The request had been handed to him on Monday when he was hanging out with Yoshino Asami, and the quiet girl had stuffed a handwritten letter into his hands during one of the small breaks between classes before disappearing again.

Shiomiya Shiori... one of the first few captures of his 'career' and with a predictable archetype that Keima thought was overused and boring.

Shiori had one of the most normal and predictable endings that Keima had seen in the end. But when one reflected upon it, there was a severe lack of response time to 'capture' Shiori. If they had been a little later, who knew what might have happened as he had to determine the right 'ending' within a few days after encountering Shiori.

Sure, the archetype was predictable but it hadn't been easy to break through that silent wall that Shiori had built around herself, and it was even more difficult to see through and to estimate what she was feeling or thinking throughout the entire process.

Keima could count the number of times with her two hands that Shiori had actually spoken to him and it had been a real challenge getting her to talk to her. Still, he hadn't visited her at all since her capture and perhaps, just perhaps, like Mio she had made important progress in her life.

Meeting up with Mio had been one of the easiest requests so far and the toughest being the mental torture that had been thought up by Fuse and Haqua. He really didn't know what those two are thinking, honestly. To Mio's credit, it hadn't been as physically exhausting as he had believed it would be and he had, dare he say it, enjoyed it quite a bit.

The interaction that he had with the tsundere girl was muted at best and Keima had the sneaking suspicion, which was later verified, that Mio wasn't quite sure how to react and behave towards him.

Either way, it was all in Mio's better interest to _not_ get involved with him. Who knew what New Hell would do if they found out about their memory restoration. Yes, it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.

Right now though, Keima had to start on the small essay that Shiori had slipped into the letter that she passed him.

It reminded him of one of those feudal games, a handwritten letter enclosed inside an envelope that was sealed with a sticker. Perhaps Shiori was once again influenced by one of her novels again?

Her hand written note was straight forward. She wished for him to accompany her to several places. To quote her, she wanted to build her courage up, seeing as the courage he provided wasn't sufficient at the moment.

Keima wasn't sure whether it was a jibe against him, or not as Shiori didn't seem particularly mad when he last met her a few days ago.

However, to quote his own words: 'A literary girl always has more opinions and views than others, they just do not or cannot express them properly.' That meant that Shiori might be very upset at him for abandoning her but didn't feel like it was right to comment or to berate him on that.

Whatever the case, it would be another long day today and Keima pulled out the essay and started reading it.

..

..

'… huh?'

It wasn't often to see Keima being shaken or caught by surprise but this was definitely one of those times as he was reading an re-enactment of what he and Shiori had gone through those few days when he was capturing her.

Who knew that she had such a photographic memory... scratch that, Shiori was the one who memorized or had read all the books in the library after all, who knew that Shiori could have such literary talent?

It read like one of his games, and Keima found a smile forming on his face as he slowly turned the pages on the small essay. So Shiori had penned down her own thoughts and feelings throughout the entire time and for the most part, Keima could see that his responses and actions were mostly within his margin of error.

That meant, Keima had correctly anticipated Shiori's thoughts. She must have written this to tell him how she felt during the capture.

Shiori was perhaps confused by his sudden entrance and determination to get into his head and from her own thoughts, written between the lines, Keima could see that despite all the rude and offensive things that he might have done to upset Shiori, she was more confused and to some extent, interested in him. That definitely was what he had been aiming for and it was a relief to find out that he has done his job properly, especially considering Shiori had been his 4th capture overall.

What jarred him a little though was how Shiori felt after the capture, it wasn't just about how the weight had been lifted off her, that was a given due to the weiss being removed from her body, but rather how she had continued to search for him, to look for the inspiration and the same fleeting feeling that she experienced them.

Shiori was similar to Kanon, she... remembered and longed for that filling of affection, of love, of importance for someone that she has forgotten.

Unlike Asami though, Shiori and Kanon could not fix that feeling to anyone else and perhaps it had... made them suffered a little.

Kanon had her own stress relief in her singing and Keima suspected that her singing skills and passion did increase partly due to him. She did say that it was alright if she was singing for one person and that one person was for him.

She might have remembered that promise, although who that person was was lost to time and thus, she was able to channel her frustration and loneliness into her job, which worked out fine.

Shiori on the other hand, although similar to Kanon, was unable to vocally express her feelings and instead channelled them into her literary work.

All in all, perhaps Shiori was more similar to Kanon than he had initially suspected and perhaps he needed to look at her from that same point of view as well.

What really bothered him though, was the itinerary for tomorrow as Shiori hadn't said anything about where and when to meet her.

'… If it ends up like Yoshino... it might be tricky.'

Admitting that, Keima put down her essay and calmly returned it back to the envelope before going back to his games. There were many things that he needed to catch up on.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Good Morning, Keima-san~'

Greeting him as he stepped into the living room was Yoshino Asami and she quickly got up to bow to him while Mari frowned a little.

'Keima-kun, how many times have I told you not to keep girls waiting?'

Raising an eyebrow in disapproval, Mari sighed when Keima asked her why she was here to early.

'I woke up early, Keima-san... so I thought that... I'd walk with you to school again.'

Blushing as she said that, Asami did not miss the brief look of exasperation and she felt a little guilty, was she really forcing herself on him?

'You could have come down later, Yoshino, there's really no need to wake up so early for me.'

Keima replied firmly but gently as he told Asami to sit down again to finish her cup of tea. Elsi was nowhere to be found and Mari told her that Elsi had stepped out the moment she saw Asami at the door.  
>'Even my little girl is growing up now...'<p>

Wiping her eyes a little, Mari wasn't surprised to see Keima choke on his tea to avoid her gaze while muttering to himself. He had the sneaking suspicion that she went away to meet with Haqua and by extension, Fuse.

The **Mai-Hime** had been dabbling into Haqua's affairs ever since becoming friends with her. Of course, Keima was using the term 'friends' very loosely as he knew that Haqua really didn't quite like to associate or socialize with the genius girl any more than she had to.

Still, Keima knew that Aoba was as persistent as anyone could get, and once she was interested in something, the likelihood that they would be able to get out of her grasp was simply laughable at best.

'Keima-san?'

Hearing Asami call his name, Keima looked up from his assumed position to see Asami pushing a bowl of rice towards him.

'Breakfast is an important meal too, Keima-san.'

Smiling as only she couldn, Asami blushed when Mari commented that if she could just come around to persuade him to eat, she wouldn't have so much problems.

'You're flattering me, Mari-san... I... I'm just doing what I can after all...'

Keima didn't doubt that but that didn't stop him from digging into breakfast, if this wasn't any indication that today was going to be a long day, he didn't know what was.

* * *

><p>..<p>

The morning passed uneventfully unless one counted how he bumped into who else, but Aoyama Mio at the lockers. Contrary to her derey-derey behaviour during the last part the day before, Mio was outright tsun-tsun today and she dug her heels into his foot while he was attempting to escape.

'So are you avoiding me now, commoner? Just as I expected. Hmph!'

Crossing her arms unhappily, Mio beat a hasty retreat before Keima could respond, and he could only keep his head held high as usual while being accompanied by Asami to the classroom.

The two of them didn't talk much on their way to school but they did share a few words, like how she spent the day before, homework, the upcoming tests and of course about the coming Mai-High.

_'I'm sure that everyone would like it if you spend just a while with them on that day, Keima-san.'_

Keima had stopped short of asking her if that was an invitation of some sort, as he felt that she was being a little obvious for his liking. Still, he would have to give the Mai High a pass unless he had to, as the thought of socializing on a day where he could spend time of his games instead was really a nightmare for him. His only hope was that Asami wouldn't bring that topic up to the rest of the girls. Especially Kanon or Aoba as the two of them would get ideas on what to do with him on that day.

Reaching class, Keima accepted another mail from Elsi that came from Shiori. The silent girl had dropped by early and requested help in passing this latter to him, something which Elsi would do.

'hmm...'

Shrugging as he walked off to a corner to have a look at the contents, Keima watched with amusement as most of the girls were bursting with curiosity about the contents of the message. Perhaps Shiori wasn't being influenced by her books and wanted to safeguard against the girls instead?

It was an laughable attempt but Keima could tell that the girls didn't want to break their promise with each other, as they kept their curiosity to themselves with as much dignity as they could muster.

..

_[Good Morning, Katsuragi-san._

_It would be my humble request to meet you at Disneyland today after school. I would like to continue with my confidence building with your help._

_-Yours Sincerely_

_Shiomiya Shiori]_

..

It was going to be a long day indeed.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

_'… I wonder if he would come with me.'_

_Shiomiya thought to herself as she sat behind the reception desk in the library. By requesting the afternoon off, she had to man the library during the breaks and although she didn't mind that, Shiori found herself struggling to concentrate on the most mundane tasks like helping the users borrow books as she had her mind in the clouds._

_There were many possible scenarios that would happen with him around but Shiori was letting her imagination get the better of herself. There was no way anything ridiculous or fantastical like would happen right? Right._

_She wanted to say but having met Haqua-san and Elsi-chan made anything and everything possible._

_It might even be possible for her to be a goddess in another form or another._

_'… Silly.'_

_She scolded herself quietly and jumped when she heard someone clear her throat and she turned towards that direction timidly for she recognize that voice._

_'Fujidera-san...'_

_Swallowing nervously as the chairwoman of the library committee glowered down at her for spacing out, Shiori let out a relieved smile when she shook her head and asked her how she was doing._

_'Is everything alright, Shiomiya? You've been acting a little weird lately... you've been spacing out more often._

_'Yes... I mean, nothing is the matter...'_

_Shiori still had some problems with her speech patterns, but she felt comfortable with Fujidera-san as she had always been supportive of her, giving Shiori chances and new roles in the library committee. Thus it was quite easy for her to speak her mind with her as compared to others._

_'Hmm? Well, I hope so, you're still behind schedule with your work, aren't you? You know, the novel that you wanted to pen for the festival?'_

_'It's about... done.'_

_Shiori admitted to the chairperson and apparently that was news to her as she pushed her glasses up in shock at the news. This wasn't a surprise to Shiori as she had been in a writing frenzy the past few nights. With her memory restored to her, she was able to polish up and further the novel that she had been writing about._

_Naturally the story was written with her and Keima as the main characters, and as embarrassing as it was, Shiori managed to not only keep the identity of the protagonists a secret but was approved to have her novel published together with the literacy club's other novels for the Mai High festival._

_It was an accomplishment that she was very happy about, even if she was very embarrassed as it contained scenarios that came from her own imagination. Things that she hoped would or could be done together with the person that she liked and had a crush on._

_All of them were things that... Shiori wanted to experience and learn from so it'd really be a dream come true for her if it happened to her._

_'… No... it will happen.'_

_She told herself sternly before promptly being swatted on her head by Fujiiidera-san for spacing out again._

_'Seriously Shiomiya... what's wrong with you...'_

_She sighed just as the bell rang and she allowed Shiori to leave after telling her not to do that again._

_'I-... I won't, I'll try.'_

_'Trying isn't good enough, you have to make sure it happens, neh? Just like how you did persuade us by locking us out of the library... Just, don't do that again.'_

_Scratching her nose as she shooed Shiori away, Fujiiidera did not see Shiori pause and giggle a little in agreement to her words._

_'That's right... I'll... do that...'_

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Good afternoon, Shiomiya.'

Keima took the liberty to wait for Shiori outside her class but Shiori did not seem too phased by his unexpected gesture as she bowed to Keima calmly and returned the greeting.

'Good afternoon, Katsuragi-san.'

'Shall we be off?'

Being totally un-phased by the attention the two of them were getting from everyone else, Shiori and Keima headed off together towards the school gates; their destination Disneyland!

The two of them were quiet by nature and being similar seemed to help resonate that urge to be silent as the two of them walked together, side by side while doing their own things.

For Shiori it was reading a small light novel that she was holding with one hand while Keima held his PFP, his hands moving like a blur as the odd couple exited the school compound.

The entire school was used to the new relationship that the Otamegane had with the girls and although some of the boys were unable to accept it, the girls were all keeping their distance, saying that love makes people blind.

Even so, seeing Shiomiya Shiori being one of them made some of the boys drop into despair again. Right now the Otamegane has got the market cornered with most if not all the most eligible girls.

If the boys were not envious before, they were now and if the girls were not confused before, this took the cake.

..

For Keima himself, being with Shiori was both a relieving and stressful thing all at the same time; as he was able to play his games in peace due to Shiori's preference in staying inside her own world. Stressful as with two different inner worlds so close together meant there would be friction.

The friction wouldn't be visible to people around them but the two of them could, they rejected each other due to the obvious difference in their ideals. Still, both parties were happy to compromise and remarkably, the two worlds seemed to have came to terms with each other.

All they wished for was silence and peace for them to immerse themselves in their own little worlds At their own leisure and as they stepped into the train station and waited for a train to pull up, Shiori looked up for a moment to catch Keima staring at her curiously and she blushed before raising her book up to hide her face.

'Ano... Katsuragi-san... it'd be nice if you didn't stare at me so much. It's... embarrassing'

Keima could swear that two cat ears appeared over her head and flopped down to increase the impact of the image, steam was literally coming out of her ears as she tried to get Keima to stop staring at her.

'That book, may I have a look at it?'

Keima looked genuinely interested and he took the book from Shiori, who simply nodded dumbly as she stared at him scrutinizing the title. It was a light novel that had recently been brought into the library, and being the librarian, she had first dibs, even if she shouldn't abuse her privileges like that. It was a popular book too and she was interested in seeing what it was about.

Apparently it was a novelization of a popular game that included several additional scenes that the creator had included in them-oh...

Looking at Keima timidly, Shiori hoped that he wasn't getting any odd ideas like how she had picked this book up to appear favourably in his eyes.

'Would you mind if I read this for a moment, Shiomiya?'

He said so abruptly after flipping through the contents for a moment, Shiori nodded and then before she realized what she was doing, spoke that she would like to see what Keima was playing too.

'You... would?'

Keima looked genuinely surprised and Shiori turned redder when his hands grabbed her shoulders tightly to emphasize his feelings.

'If you... insist...'

It was like Keima was just being a little emotional as he quickly released Shiori and handed her his PFP, not before saving his game of course.

'Just press this to progress and this to check the dialogue... ah, I have a save file at the start that you can start with...'

Explaining to her, Keima set up everything for Shiori and the two of them sat down in empty seats in the train as they headed towards their destination.

* * *

><p>..<p>

They almost missed their stop as they were lost in the other's inner world. It felt, right somehow to be able to do that, and this made Shiomiya Shiori a very happy girl.

Just like how she had started getting interested in songs by reading the scores and the lyrics, she was beginning to enjoy Keima's games by going through them logically and slowly.

The games were interesting, the characters were interesting and although she didn't quite understand most of what was going on, she enjoyed herself nonetheless. It was similar to some of the books that she had read before and with the music and the visuals, it was much easier to relate to.

That was why she was lost in his games while for Keima he had been too focused on flipping through the novel to notice the things around him.

It was odd to not have choices to choose, and it was very odd to see a linear plot in anything, at least for him anyway but he had been satisfied overall by the novelization of the game that he had played before.

Ironically or perhaps coincidentally, Shiori was now going through the sequel for the game and although it wasn't one that he personally recommend due to the later contents, Shiori was a slow reader compared to him, scratch that, a fast reader compared to normal individuals but thankfully didn't come close to the more... disturbing and explicit scenes in the end.

From her progress and her choices, Shiori didn't have much talent in reading people or the plots and was heading for the _Bad End._

The extra content in the novels was a little disappointing though and it was something that could be improved.

'Shall... we go, Katsuragi-san.'

Pulling his sleeve, Keima looked down to see Shiori looking down as they stood in front of the train station and the entrance of Disneyland.

'Sure... if that's what you wish.'

Keima did not sigh, Shiori seemed timid enough and she was probably thanking her lucky stars that he agreed to come with them in the first place. The key thing is not to get her started in a downward spiral of self-dejectedness. What Shiori needed now was confidence to get what she wanted off her chest.

That's right, she needed courage and in her own words: 'C_onfidence Building' _was necessary for that!

* * *

><p>..<p>

'… The haunted mansion?'

Keima's eyes twitched a little as the two of them stared at the signboard over the flimsy looking shack and he didn't even feel Shiori clamping her hands on his arm till she tugged at it.

'… yes...'

As laconic as ever... huh?

'… If that's what you wish...'

Lowering his head, Keima mustered his courage and plunged straight into the lion's den together with Shiori, the girl clinging to him desperately as they started their first 'confidence building' exercise.

The **Capturing God** on the other hand, asked himself what he had gotten himself into, as he really didn't like amusement rides at all!

Much later on, the two of them staggered out of the amusement ride panting and pale-faced.

It hadn't been so bad at the start, Keima was able to deduce where most of the traps and hidden monsters were hiding and after pointing them out to Shiori, she had braved all of it without breaking a sweat.

She had clung to him tightly though and that made him very conscious of her, which later led to his downfall as an unexpected trapdoor burst out in front of them, terrifying Shiori and causing the poor girl to bolt away, pulling him along for the rest of the journey.

Shiori was a mess of nerves; she was scared silly by the monsters and traps despite Keima's constant reminders that the monsters and zombies weren't real.

'Besides... this wasn't 'confidence building' at all. It was more of courage building...'

Keima muttered to himself as he bought drinks for Shiori and that's when his own words hit him like a brick.

'… Isn't that what she wanted? Did she phrase it inaccurately today?'

Keima wondered thoughtfully as he made his way back.

..

'T-thank you...'

Shiori mumbled back after sipping a bit of the tea that Keima passed her and despite herself, she slowly inched away from him as he sat beside her.

'Are you okay, Shiomiya? Do you feel better now?'

It was shameful to admit but she had been terrified and in her hurry to get out of that place, and had probably lowered her overall stock value in Katsuragi Keima's eyes.

'… I... I'm... sorry.'

She managed to squeeze out and Keima's response made her blush even more even though she knew that he was saying that to comfort her.

'Don't be... it wouldn't be called a Haunted Mansion if it wasn't the least bit scary, would it?'

Closing one eye as he returned to Shiori's book, the two of them spent some time in silence before Shiori got up and pulled his sleeve again.

'L-let's... g-go on... I... I still want to... work on my confidence...'

She smiled embarrassedly as she pointed towards the next ride, the roller coaster aptly named the Cyclone of Death.

'… Like I said... it's bravery.'

He said that out loud as he was pulled off, Keima heard Shiori giggle before nodding her head.

'I'm sorry, I bit my tongue~'

'No, you definitely did it on purpose!'

* * *

><p>..<p>

It was an interesting experience to say the least and Keima found that with the influence of fear, Shiori was 'liberated' from the stony silence that had characterized her. It wasn't a good thing per se as he knew that he was seeing a side of her that she wasn't showing naturally.

But it was comforting to see that she was enjoying herself though, as although she screamed her lungs out and the death grip on his hand never once loosened, Shiori was having fun.

Was this just a pretence to have a date with him? If that was so, Shiori could have said so, right?

It was an ordinary date and could be compared to the one he had with Kanon, only more impersonal. Shiori really wanted to go on the rides and so Keima reasoned that perhaps she just needed some company, some 'confidence' for her to get on the rides in the first place?

Did she not have any friends? Well, Keima was not one to speak, and he shrugged those thoughts aside even as Shiori recovered once again after getting out of another ride.

'Are you alright?'

Keima asked her as she struggled for breath after getting out of another ride, one that had messed up her hair and Keima reached out to pet her hair down for her.

'A-ano...'

Shiori blushed deeply as she slowly coaxed him to stop, deciding to smooth her hair down herself.

'… There is... one more place I want to go... to...'

Keima blinked as Shiori got up and after waiting for a moment he followed after her. She must have something up her sleeve, and it must be important for Keima had falsely believed that this was all she wanted.

He had previously determined that Shiori was similar to Kanon so was there something that he had missed out?

She was an individual who had remembered a little part of her memories about him prior to the memory recall that all the girls had experienced. This part was obvious... Kanon had vented or shunted her feelings into her songs and Shiori had turned to her novel instead... what was the link...

'… I should have... seen it before.'

Keima muttered to himself darkly as he recalled the handwritten letter that she had given him. It all started and ended there. No, that was the beginning, but if there was a beginning, there must be an ending as well!

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

Bringing him to higher ground, Shiori panted as she looked around anxiously till Keima placed one hand on her shoulder to stop her from doing so.

'Shiomiya, no... Shiori.'

He repeated her name to her confusion, and she was about to ask what was wrong when Keima showed her the letter that she written him a day ago and she froze.

'Or should I say... Shiomi-chan?'

Smirking as he saw Shiori turn red at his words, his suspicion, no, he is the **Capturing Go**d, he has seen the correct ending again for Shiori after all.

'You were following what you written in your novel... didn't you? That's why... you were able to act naturally today.'

By now Shiori was hiding her face in her hands, cupping down to avoid seeing Keima. She wasn't embarrassed, well, she was, but she was more humiliated to know that Keima had figured that out too. She thought she'd get away with it too.

'… Though I'm a little disappointed that you didn't write more dialogue in your novel, Shiomi?'

Taking another jibe at her, Keima guided Shiori to sit down in another empty bench as she nodded in reply.

'I... I... I wanted to... but... I'm... not good with speech... after all.'

Shiori was persuaded to look at Keima when he reached out, cupping her chin as he guided her eyes to meet his.

'If you're writing, you're simply putting your thoughts into words. You can say anything you want to, Shiori. I've said this before... perhaps not to you, but.'

Taking a deep breath, Keima smiled at Shiori as he repeated what he said so the night before.

_'A literary girl always has more opinions and views than others, they just do not or cannot express them properly.'_

It was enough to make Shiori laugh again, a real happy laugh as Keima made her lean against him while she laughed. It was the funniest thing she had heard for some time but it seemed so right to her.

'That's... ridiculous, K-Katsuragi-san... b-but, I guess... it's true too.'

Shori admitted as Keima nodded while letting go of her chin. He was getting a little uncomfortable at being so close and intimate to Shiori. Who knew what she'll do to him when she realized that?

'… did you finish... my novel at all? H-how... did you know?'

'No, I just read what you've sent me... you called yourself Shiomi... but I saw you clutching a script earlier. You shouldn't have done that at all.'

Keima berated her but Shiori shook her head and explained herself.

..

'No, I wanted to... I guess, I wanted to feel whether I was right... the feeling that I wanted Shiomi-chan to feel... was what I would feel. Thats why... I wanted Katsuragi-san to accompany me...'

It was reasonable he supposed but he added quickly.

'It really wasn't fair to me, or for you, Shiomiya.'

'… That's not... what you said, Katsuragi-san... you said, that I have more opinions than everyone else... and what I've written are my thoughts... that means, that what I've written... is what I wanted to say, desho?'

Blushing deeply as she turned Keima's words against him, Shiori leaned closer and gave him a peck on his cheeks as a thank you gift.

'And... that's the ending of my novel... Katsuragi-san...'

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes: R&amp;R would be nice and appreciated and would help me lots.<strong>


	10. Her Resolve

The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox

**Chapter 10: Her ****Resolve**

**Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.**

..

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

**Written by: wrathie**

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: This chapter is brought to you by, <em>Wolf's Honour,<em>**_** Kaiser dude**_**and_ dongaro_. Whew, what a long editing chain. But thank you, all. R&R people, please.**

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><p>..<p>

..

The sun had set before the two of them had realized it and as the **Capturing God**, Katsuragi Keima and Shiomiya Shiori leaned back against the bench, they were greeted with a magical sight. Streams of color shot into the sky and before Shiori could comment on them, they exploded brilliantly like a flower in bloom, showing off their colors for just a brief instant before they faded away.

As the two of them watched on, more and more of those same colourful blossoms came into view, arching into the sky in different angles and different colours before exploding into bloom again in different and intricate patterns. They lit up the darkening sky and the amusement park was laid bare in front of them thanks to the flowers in the sky.

It was time for the daily fireworks display in Disneyland and the two of them had unwittingly chanced upon one of the best seats in the entire park as people started gathering around and behind them, causing the timid Shiori to inch closer to Keima for protection till her shoulder touched hers.

'Ah-... Ano... Gomen...'

Lowering her head, Shiori started as she looked up to see another firework go off once again and Keima speaking barely above the din so that she can hear him.

'Are you happy... with the way things are going, Shiomiya?'

'… I am.'

She nodded as the answer came to her easily, something that only Keima could see in the darkness and amidst the crowd looking on at the display in front of them.

'… I wanted to experience all of this... the things that... I've written... and I... can definitely say that... I connected with... what I wrote here... I like what I feel and what... I'm seeing now...'

Keima nodded as he looked back up at the last lingering fireworks going off in the air, but his head snapped back down when Shiori laughed softly and added.

'I know... that... I'm still in love... with Katsuragi-san...that's what... I am assured of now. Just... like Shiomi does, I... I would never... regret meeting and going... out with Katsuragi-san. This.. experience, all of it... from the Haunted House... to the firework display... all of it... I wouldn't have experienced it without you. No... I guess, without Katsuragi-san... none of this would have happened. This experience... I... have strengthened it.'

She admitted with a small smile as Keima nodded his head.

'Thank you, Shiori.'

Petting her head, Keima and Shiori spent awhile more in Disneyland before he escorted her back to the station.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Welcome back~'

Smiling in greeting, Elsi looked up briefly before going back practising on her bass guitar as Keima slumped on the couch.

It had been a very tiring; and thoughtful day for him; his meeting and subsequent date with Shiori had put to rest most of his fears, mostly as Shiori seemed to be happy or at least accepting of his interference and it lifted another load off his shoulders.

So that meant there were only two other individuals left, Fuse Aoba and Takahara Ayumi. Two troublesome and distinctive girls in their own right and very unique to him.

The former was a girl who had learnt from him as well as someone whom he had learnt so much from as well. The latter was someone who had verified for him the possibilities that he could apply his **capturing** techniques on the real world as well.

Both girls were setbacks, as well as a step forward for him, and he was strangely apprehensive of meeting with them due to what they could tell or give in feedback to him.

Staring at his PFP screen and choosing to ignore the flashing window that highlighted the number of emails in his mail Inbox, Katsuragi Keima, the**Capturing God,** reflected on what he had done so far and found that he did not regret any of his actions so far despite the many setbacks that he had faced so far.

He had approached this current situation from many different points of views and all of them seemed applicable. From trying to 'capture' them again, to finding acceptance for what he had done, Keima has found salvation and forgiveness from the same girls that he had 'saved' and hurt.

'…'

There was one thing missing though, but he could live without that as long as he could do what he has been doing so for so long; that is to play his games.

Funnily enough, he had not been too concerned about his games ever since this scenario developed. But that was to be expected seeing as how the girls' attention were on him at all times, pressuring him to look at them and them alone.

In a sense, he was the protagonist in a game in the real world, a paradox within a paradox. It was crazy, just crazy.

'The world is going crazy.'

And it didn't seem like it was going to stop any time soon.

..

Mari's world had been going up and down as well, mostly due to her son, Katsuragi Keima, as well as her daughter, Katsuragi Elsi.

It was a lonely and a bitter-sweet feeling as she watched her children grow up right in front of her. It was a pity that she couldn't remember how Keima was like when he was younger, she had gotten used to or perhaps numb to seeing Keima playing his games around the clock.

She was even more disappointed in not seeing how Elsi was like when she was young and although she has reservations about how Elsi came into their household, she wanted to thank the woman who had raised Elsi up to be the girl that she was. The woman has done a magnificent job and Mari promised to love Elsi and treat her as though she was her real daughter.

All in all, Mari felt a little conflicted at the major changes in Keima and Elsi. It had only seemed like last week, no wait, it has been only last week that Keima had been wholly obsessed with his games and Elsi was the little sister that harbored a huge crush on her big brother.

It was a huge pity that Elsi was related by blood to Keima, or Mari wouldn't have minded if the two of them had spent the rest of their lives together. Elsi's influence on Keima had been nothing but positive and although Mari felt that her hero-worship of Keima was a little too much, if Elsi didn't seem to mind, Mari didn't feel like she should get involved in it at all.

It all changed now that Keima's Y-chromosomes was finally having its effects and he had been spending more time with members of the opposite sex, at least associating with them openly and publicly.

Perhaps Keima had been seeing those girls in private before-hand, but seeing how Elsi had been clinging to him, Mari felt that it was impossible. Still, she was glad to see that none of the girls were like him, she was really worried about his future.

Elsi, too, has matured and graduated from her crush on Keima and has been actively spending time away with her other friends. Whether she'd finally graduate and find a boyfriend remained to be seen, but Mari was personally against them; Elsi needed to mature a bit more to avoid being taken advantage of.

Yes, this was an exciting and depressing time to be a parent; her children were growing up together and as they slowly spread their wings, Mari hoped that she'd be able to see them step into the road of independence together with someone else, or together as siblings, just like how they handle things now.

* * *

><p>..<p>

It was an odd few days for Elsi, and it was taking a toll on her. Spending time with Haqua had made it easier on her, and by concentrating hard on the things that she can do, like strumming her bass guitar or reading her books on fire trucks, Elsi had been able to shrug off most of the loneliness that had been filling her heart.

Yes, Elsi was lonely because her Kami-onii-sama was not spending time with her any more. Granted, Elsi was the one who tagged along with him and she had always been doing mundane or other things as compared to what her Kami-Onii-sama had done, Elsi always felt relieved and happy when he was around.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that she had really treated Keima like a god as well as an elder brother that she had looked up to ever since he agreed to accept her as a sister.

The B.M.W. logic that Keima has taught her has perhaps been driven deeply into her mind and she had difficult in coping with life without Keima. It was ridiculous really, seeing how Elsi had survived 298 years as a cleaning demon in one of the worst places in hell.

Perhaps that was why Elsi was fascinated and awed by Keima, he was the sole reason that she had been able to get out of that old position of being a cleaner demon and into the Weiss Hunting Squad to make her family proud.

Despite his eccentricity, he was the sole reason that Elsi was able to capture so many Weiss so far... and to give her more credit than she deserved. She owed him everything and she wouldn't mind dying for him many times over.

That's why...that's why...

'Kami... Onii... sama...'

Elsi cried softly as she rolled around on her bed, hugging her pillow in regret and disappointment that he had not seen or realized how she was feeling these few days. It had only started to seriously affect her when Yoshino Asami took _her_ place by his side.

'It... it wasn't fair...'

Elsi knew that life wasn't fair but she could not help but wish for another Weiss to appear right now, so that she and Keima could return to life before it all turned upside down for her.

It almost made her regret helping the girls to get this 'bargain' with Keima. She really wished that she didn't help them now.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'… Stupid... Keima.'

Haqua grumbled as she sipped her tea angrily by herself in her room. She had been making a fool of herself the past few days, and she herself knew it the most as she was the girl that had been forced to play the fool for so long together with Fuse Aoba.

That girl really had some screws loose; as she plotted and persuaded Haqua to follow her schemes of getting close to Keima. It had been embarrassing and humiliating that Aoba had seen through her the moment she spoke with her.

What made matters worse and complicated was how she was able to ad-lib and see through Haqua's every attempt to get away from Aoba. That was not even taking into account how Aoba managed to persuade Haqua to do everything that she asked her to do.

Haqua hated all of it, all of Aoba's plans, the planning that she did, and of course the many scripts that Aoba prepared for her.

Haqua wanted to say that, but it was also true that she had never seen Keima react to her like this; he almost seemed like a different person when dealing with Fuse and of course the Haqua that had been dragged along the way.

Keima had been sensitive, embarrassed, shy and exasperated. Emotions and sides of him that Haqua had never seen before.

It... killed her to admit this but he even looked a little cute as he tried his best to cope with the two of them.

Aoba said that she could read Keima like a book, most of the time anyway, and could force his hand and Haqua was happy that she had given Aoba the benefit of the doubt in the end.

After all, Aoba was the only person who had beaten Keima at almost every other game that he had challenged her at and was the only person that Keima had been unable to capture for quite a long time.

..

Looking back, perhaps that's what Aoba was planning at the start by using such extreme methods to catch his attention, and Haqua grew a little more respectful for the **Mai-Hime** upon reflecting on that.

Haqua still couldn't figure out what Aoba herself wanted but... Haqua supposed she could do with all the help she could get.

'She... isn't that bad... for a human.'

Haqua told herself as she placed her cup down and smiled at the reflection. Despite everything that had happened, the embarrassing and crazy things that she had to do together with Fuse, she knew that Keima had seen different sides to her as well.

'So... Thank you.'

Haqua thanked the human girl as she flopped on her bed, closing her eyes and wondering what Aoba was going to think up tomorrow.

* * *

><p>..<p>

For Aoba Fuse, **Mai-Hime**, it had been a very interesting few days, and she had truly enjoyed herself. She had been able to cut loose and do the things that she wanted to do for the first time in months.

Prior to the return of her memories, she had been a shut-in, for the lack of a better word and in a sense she was not too far off from the **Capturing God, **getting by due to her grades as well as her icy cold demeanor.

That demeanor had thawed out due to her interaction with the other girls, as Fuse realized almost immediately that there was competition from all the fields. She wasn't the only genius amongst the girls that Keima had captured; Haqua was an excellent example.

The loli was taken over by Kujyo along with Mio, the sempai role was covered by Kusonoki, the genki girl were Ayumi and Chihiro respectively.

That was not talking about the tsundere girls either, Keima's harem was loaded with that archetype and there was even a yandere idol to boot and if Elsi could be believed, Keima had a teacher and a miko hidden amongst the harem too... Like Aoba had mentioned before, Keima had gotten his bases covered and it needed something extraordinary to break through to him.

She wasn't the only Ice-Princess, Tsukiyo had that covered and she was a loli with... flat chests to boot and Aoba was certain that even she could not compete with her in flat-chestedn-ess.

Not that she would _ever_ admit to considering that as well. No, she was horribly outclassed by Tsukiyo. The girl that Aoba estimated that has the best chances were Minami and Kanon, the two girls were obviously favored by Keima, and although she could guess why that was so, Aoba wasn't one to gossip amongst others.

'… She's an interesting girl.'

Aoba smiled slightly as she recalled the tsundere devil that she had first befriended. It was blatantly obvious what Haqua felt for him and despite Aoba's own selfish wish of wanting him to be by her side. She knew that it would be alright if Haqua was by _his_ side instead as Haqua had both the tools and the looks to help him in his quest.

Who knew what would happen if the two of them were to compete against each other instead. The result would surely be messy, that part she was certain of.

..

Aoba did not doubt that he was the true **Capturing God** in the game world as well as the real world, and unlike Keima, Aoba knew how to separate the two worlds and keep her priorities in both worlds intact while avoiding conflict between them.

Like the other girls, she did not know what Keima was doing behind their backs, but she was sure that he would not behave this way if his hands were not tied.

In a sense, Fuse Aoba was the one person who did not resent, hold grudges, reservations or lingering feelings about how Keima had treated her and their memories together.

No, Fuse Aoba was a person who knew where her priorities should lie, and was not afraid to cut her losses by making hard decisions even if it might affect her adversely. That's how brutal and unfeeling she truly was and if she found something to be a liability in the long run, she would have no qualms in removing it at once.

Hence Aoba was able to see and agree with Keima about the hard decision he and the unknown party had decided on applying to all of them. If it was the safest and most cost effective method, who was she to argue?

Still, it was a little disappointing to see how soft the **Capturing God** was but Aoba reasoned that she should not judge him so easily based on so few hints and without all the clues in her hands.

'… You'll be my next conquest, **Capturing God**.'

Aoba swore to herself as she lay back on her seat, eyes moving momentarily off the PFP she was holding.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

The next day, another day that would or might bring ugly surprises for Keima. Or perhaps pleasant surprises instead as the 'date' for today was reserved by Takahara Ayumi and Keima chewed on his toast thoughtfully even as Elsi and Mari looked at him patiently.

They had gotten used to the thoughtful look that Keima would have as he went into his own world. It happened more often than not nowadays, and the two of them found him to be a little too pensive than they would have liked.

But it was something that was out of their control though, and the two of them hoped that he would be out of that blue funk or at least find a way to deal with his problems.

Elsi on the other hand was left wishing that she had not started this problem for him the first place. The two of them were interrupted when Keima twitched as he stared at his PFP, almost dreading it before he picked it up and read through the contents.

'… I might be back a little late today.'

Keima announced softly and the two women looked at each other momentarily before nodding their heads in acknowledgment.

'Should I prepare some dinner for you anyway, Keima-kun?'

Mari asked and she bit her lip as he shook his head, signaling and hinting that he might be eating out with his friends and perhaps with a girl too.

It was yet another bittersweet moment for her as it would be his first time eating out with a friend of his, and yet perhaps the start of a time when Keima wouldn't be able to join them for dinner together.

Mari was very strict with dinner than other meals, as she viewed that dinner was one of the most important meals of the day. Since it was one of the few times that the entire family could gather together as one. Granted, Keima and his father preferred to eat their dinner in peace and quiet, but that meant that Mari and Elsi were over-compensating for them anyway!

'I'll be... out... tonight.'

Keima repeated to himself and Elsi could see that he actually shivered a little when he stared at the screen. Was he really so afraid of Takahara Ayumi? It really didn't make sense at all.

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><p>..<p>

As for the girl in question, Takahara Ayumi was a girl who prided herself in only one thing, running, and that was something that she did to perfection. She was the fastest in her class, perhaps the entire school, and she wanted to keep it that way.

One thing that she could not run away from was the memory that had haunted her ever since she had won that first tournament in the track meet.

No matter how much she ran or tried to run away from the truth in denial, they came back to haunt her again at the end of the day. It even haunted her dreams, telling her and reminding her that something important to her.

Something happened between her and the Otamegane and prior to a few days ago, she had no idea what.

Ayumi simply knew that fact due to the attraction she felt towards him, and despite herself she found herself softening her stance towards the Otamegane. Things that she would not have noticed before were as clear as day today, and even his unreasonable temper, attitude and demeanor added only to his mysterious charm.

She did not know why she felt that Keima was someone who could be trusted, dedicated and someone who she could entrust herself with, but that's what she felt and she would get a little agitated whenever someone commented or judged him based on the stereotypes that had been applied to him unfairly.

Ayumi herself knew that she was just one person against the entire school. and she was unable to show the world or him what she really felt, and in many instances, Katsuragi Keima had come up short.

There was a period when she lost all faith in Keima, and she had never ran herself so ragged out in the track in her desperation to forget him. A hundred laps was what it took before she collapsed on the floor in exhaustion and yet it wasn't enough.

The moment she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift free, she could just... just remember glimpses of what had happened or what could have happened between the two of them.

It was fleeting and it was faint but the feeling was similar to what she felt whenever she came close to Katsuragi, or when he paid attention to her. She... was a little afraid of him as she did not know what she would do if he ever approached her by himself.

She had always been the person who had approached him ever since the incident, and she was happy to keep it that way till she could figure out what had happened between the two of them.

Was it something he said? Or was it something that he did for her? Takahara Ayumi wanted to know and she wanted to know before it was too late.

Before she forgot again, as the days go by, the less she remembered... no, the less vividly she remembered those feelings. It was like her feelings that they shared were growing stale and stagnant. There was something going on or there had been something going on between the two of them but as nothing happened, the bond they might have was disappearing.

Or was she getting used to spending time with him that it didn't affect her as much as before?

Ayumi didn't know, and she was afraid to find out...

..

Till now, when Elsi-chan and Haqua-chan spilled the beans about what happened the day after she remembered everything, it had been very confusing, and despite herself, Ayumi felt bad for Keima as he had obviously been through a lot after the time that the two of them had met and the time when he had 'saved' her from something.

The two girls had been extremely vague on that but she'd take their word for it. Elsi was a girl who could never lie and she herself wanted a reason for Keima to have ignored her.

Knowing the 'truth' was a great relief for Ayumi, and she had been heavily involved in the discussion and debate that had started due to the 'truth'.

To her surprise she was not in the minority and almost all of the girls were happy or even willing to give him a second chance to redeem himself with his actions. Those who had their reservations agreed as well the next day, and Ayumi figured that they had taken time to go through their memories of what had happened then.

It was good that Ayumi tried so hard to keep those feelings and memories alive, as the most time had passed between her 'capture' and the present, and despite the time that had passed, Ayumi was able to remember most of the details and found herself... more agitated than ever.

There were so many things that she wanted to tell Keima, things that she knew would make things very awkward between the two of them. But right now, today, was the day where she would get everything off her chest.

All her questions, and most importantly the answers that she was expecting from him would be answered today.

'… Gambare neh, Ayumi.'

She told herself as she tied her hair up in a ponytail at the racetrack, ready for another run around the track before school.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Keima-san...'

Yoshino Asami knew something was affecting Keima today and it must be serious if the other girls around him could pick up on him as well. His attention was focused on his games but that was it, he was solely focused on his games and not paying attention to everything else.

It was not that he wasn't entitled to do that, but ever since the agreement had been struck and agreed on by Keima, he has at the least paid attention to the girls when they spoke with him.

His eyes might be glued to his PFP but he would give responses when needed, or necessary and even if that seemed rude, it was still an improvement to how he would always ignore what everyone was trying to tell him.

Even if it seemed like it was the same, as someone who had observed him for as long as she did, Asami could tell the difference. Keima was troubled by something and was putting his soul into his games to avoid thinking about it. His hands flew on the keyboard and Asami gave up just as quickly as she had started.

Today... was the day that he met with Takahara Ayumi, and Yoshino Asami felt a little awkward and jealous in knowing that Ayumi could elicit such a response from Keima.

None of the girls had shared their stories with Keima as it must be an embarrassing thing to admit to anyone else, and Asami was no exception. She just found it surprising and shocking to know that Ayumi was someone that Keima treated differently too.

Looking to the side, she saw Ayumi's empty desk, and along the way she met Chihiro's eyes and the girl promptly looked away as she concentrated on the textbook in front of her.

So even Asami felt a little awkward here and she decided to fall back and let Ayumi take the centre stage today.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Takahara...'

Keima spoke softly as he looked down to Ayumi doing her stretches on the track today after school, and Keima found himself averting his eyes when Ayumi looked up at him smiling.

Her smile was so radiant, and Keima would be lying if he did not admit that Ayumi had been the girl that had changed the most since the situation had changed between them and him.

Outwardly nothing had changed, and Keima hated himself for failing to notice the changes happening around and inside Ayumi. Prior to the development of the scenario, one of the girls who had showed warning signs visually was her, Takahara Ayumi, and due to Nakagawa Kanon, whose extravagant and obvious stunts overshadowed most of the other girls, had made Keima forget about all those other girls.

It was his mistake, or was it? Keima didn't want to ague right now as he was still shaken by what Ayumi had sent him in the morning.

..

_**Are you going to take responsibility?**_

..

It was one of the scariest phrases ever possible in the Japanese language, heck, in any language and the many different meanings hidden behind those words had caused him much concern over the entire day.

'Keima-kun, hi! I'm glad that you remembered our promise to meet here today.'

It wasn't a lie to say that he had been dreading this for the whole day, but Katsuragi Keima, the **Capturing God,** put on a brave face as he swallowed his fears and sat down beside her on the track.

'I did...'

'But you forgot to cheer me on that day... when I won my first trophy for the school.'

Ayumi commented swiftly and was quickly rebutted by Keima saying that he did congratulate her after that.

'And I was there on that day, Takahara.'

'… Just teasing you, Keima-kun... you did call me Ayumi before, didn't you? Why did you change that?'

Turning to him, Keima noted that Ayumi still had her hair tied up in a ponytail and was still dressed in her PE shorts and T-shirt but she still looked great nonetheless. Curse his hormones working against him, as Ayumi was a girl his _type _after all.

'I didn't think you'll let me call you that, Ayumi.'

He replied truthfully while looking away, and Ayumi laughed again before getting up and offering a hand to him.

'Let's go on a date, Keima-kun. A real one, we'll go out to dinner together, okay?'

'I'll suppose I'll foot the tab, Ayumi?'

Raising an eyebrow as Ayumi just laughed and said that they'll just be going out to grab some takeout before going to the park.

'I want to be alone, Keima-kun... Just you and me. Please.'

She added, and Keima just nodded in agreement, unable to say anything else and he watched dumbly as Ayumi left to change.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Thank you for waiting for me, Keima-kun~"

Greeting him cheerfully and tugging him along, Ayumi held out her hand and waited patiently even as Keima struggled with himself before giving in and reaching out to hold her hand in return.

'Eheh... it means a lot to me for Keima-kun to do that.'

Closing one eye and winking at him, Ayumi followed Keima's lead as the two of them left the empty school compound together. Ayumi must have wanted to keep this a secret rendezvous between the two of them as she asked Keima to look for any of their fellow school mates.

'You know, Keima-kun. I always... wondered what my first date would be like, and I've even dreamed and planned it by myself. I just didn't think that I'd be eating fast food in the park though.'

Ayumi reflected thoughtfully, as they made their way down to the shopping district together and Keima shrugged while being very conscious of them holding hands.

'Oh... is Keima-kun embarrassed? Well... I'm embarrassed too... so we can be embarrassed together...'

It was true, Ayumi's face was red, and it was getting redder as more and more people walked past the two of them. Keima reflected that it was one of the most normal conversations he had ever had on a date and it was reminiscent of a few of the games that he had played before.

'Normally we would be in an open relationship if we did that though... but I guess... Keima-kun doesn't want to commit to a relationship so early, right?

That was certainly the truth and Keima nodded his head while clearing his throat.

'I...'

'Save the apologies for later, Keima-kun... let me... enjoy this moment for now. Please.'

Furrowing her brows, Ayumi spoke pointedly and Keima relented just as quickly, if that was her request he had no qualms in granting it as well. He was not avoiding the issue altogether, just postponing it for a little while later.

'I see you're as stubborn as always, Ayumi; always wanting to get your way.'

'Ehh? Do I? W-Well, I guess I picked it up from you. You're the one that got involved with me... you remember that, right?'

Sticking her tongue out at him, Ayumi laughed as Keima shook his head in exasperation.

'It... well, I suppose I had a choice then.'

'Mm mm... You had a choice and you blew it then~'

* * *

><p>..<p>

'I won't ask you why you did that or how you choose to do that, I'm just glad that you were brave enough to face up to what you've done, Keima-kun.'

Speaking with him casually as they walked out of the fastfood restaurant, Keima raised an eyebrow to her words as she continued with a smile.

'Other guys would have ran away if they were found cheating but you didn't run at all~'

'You girls didn't give me a chance, Ayumi; all of you cornered me there and then. I didn't have a choice at all... Besides...'

'You weren't cheating, desho? I know... you had your reasons for what you did so I won't pursue it any further... Keima-kun.'

Shrugging, Ayumi tugged Keima forward teasingly towards the next stop in their destination as Keima lowered his eyes.

It was a touchy subject and Keima was glad that Ayumi wasn't going to discuss that topic with him. All of his previous requests and dates from the girls had mostly touched on their future together, and none of them had seemed willing to discuss the past with him, much less the incident that had caused this to happen in the first place.

Still, Takahara Ayumi was the one that had kicked off everything in the first place, she was the first capture, the first girl that had subsequently been involved with him.

Not to mention...

'But you will take responsibility right? For taking my first kiss... and being my first love.'

Ayumi teased as Keima spluttered, it was as if Ayumi had read his mind and the **Capturing God** gaped at her while Ayumi skipped forward, slipping her hands away from him and placing them on her hip provocatively.

'There, I said it, Keima-kun, you're my first love... but I didn't say whether you're _still_ my only love.'

Giggling, Ayumi took off even as Keima followed her urgently. She was teasing him with all of her hints and his curiosity grew, what did Ayumi want with him, really?

* * *

><p>..<p>

Sitting together with him in a bench in the park, Ayumi and Keima ate in silence as they stared at nothing in particular. They had started off sitting apart, but Ayumi had gotten braver as the minutes ticked by and it became obvious that Keima wasn't going to pull any moves on her at all.

She was a little disappointed that Keima didn't, but then again, she was a little relieved too. If Keima had been able to get girls like Kusonoki sempai to like him, who knew what he was hiding behind that otamegane's normal geeky face.

Besides, she had fallen in love with him too, and so that meant that Ayumi herself was susceptible to hints or suggestions from Keima.

'Ayumi.'

Breaking the silence after a while, Ayumi looked up expectantly to see Keima passing her drink to her, and she smiled a little wryly till Keima commented with a small smirk.

'Expecting something else, Ayumi?'

'O-Of course not... what would I be expecting... idiot.'

Pouting a little, Ayumi was relieved to see Keima behaving a little normally, like a boy his age and she blushed when Keima remarked that it'll be up to her imagination, not his.

'That's not playing fair, Well, you never did play fair, Keima-kun. You stole my first kiss and all.'

'It was my first kiss too, Ayumi.'

It was a confession from him that was both abrupt as well as embarrassing and Ayumi felt her face burn up again when he told her that, and she wondered how many times one must blush before one could call it chronic blushing. Perhaps the blood would stay in her cheeks permanently at this rate that they were going through.

'… It was... you didn't... kiss any other girls before me right? Like Elsi-chan...'

Kisses between sisters didn't count, but Ayumi had the sneaking suspicion that Elsi was _not_ his sister at all, not when she stared at Keima with lovestruck eyes at times.

'Unless you count my mother, no.'

Closing one eye as he regained his composure, Keima lost it again when Ayumi said that it was true then, that she was the first one.

'I'm... the first girl... you ever chased after... weren't I? I'm... the first.'

She seemed smug or at least happy about knowing that as Keima nodded.

'I'm happy... and relieved... that my first kiss... was your first kiss too. I remember what happened; I was the one who wanted to give you my first kiss... so you can count that on me... I'm just glad that it's your first kiss too.'

Tilting her head, Ayumi destroyed the moment when she commented that she'd totally have one over Chihiro here and Keima laughed in a hollow fashion before Ayumi interrupted again.

..

'Because that means I'm the first girl that you confessed to right? In the real world I mean... I'm the first, for many cases for Keima-kun... and although Keima-kun isn't the first person to confess to me, Keima-kun has my first kiss, I have your first confession... and... your first thank you.'

'Huh?'

Keima was confused as Ayumi leaned closer and closer till she wiped away a bit of mayonnaise on his face with her finger and said so softly again.

'Thank you, Keima-kun. Thank you for saving me, for saving us... I know Keima-kun doesn't have a choice... But I want to imagine that Keima-kun had a choice.

You could have chosen someone else to save first, you could have ignore me... asked someone else to save me... and perhaps used another method to save me... but, thank you, Keima-kun for saving me and letting me fall in love with you.'

It was his first thank you from the girls, and although he had not asked for any thanks, Ayumi gave it to him anyway, and Keima felt much better inside hearing that from her.

'It's... fitting that... I'm the first person to thank you, Keima-kun... I don't think anyone has said that to you... and even if they did, I wanted you to know that I am... very thankful. Words... cannot express how much I... thank you for letting me meet you, no, letting me see you, see another side of you... and letting me to be your first...

Now that I know, it means... a lot to me, Keima-kun because I... it has been hard for me to see you go out with the rest of them, Keima-kun.'

Shaking her head, Ayumi cleaned her finger as she leaned against him, looking up the sky as Keima looked at her evenly.

He did not know what to say, and he was really feeling a little complicated here as Ayumi confessed to him.

'I know... Keima-kun can't choose among us... if you could, I'd wish that you'll choose me. I'd... want to have you for myself... and I promise, I swear that I would make it all worth it...'

She blushed before hitting him on the shoulder unhappily.

'No perverted things though! Pervert!'

Ayumi then looked away as Keima retorted that she was the one who raised it, and it was Keima's turn to blush when Ayumi said that if it's just a little, she wouldn't say no.

'Maybe, just maybe, okay?'

Panicking a little, Ayumi looked away and she allowed silence to go between them for a moment as Keima replied instead.

..

'I can't do that.'

'I know you can't... but a girl can wish, Keima-kun. Let me wish and let me be hopeful...'

'It wouldn't be fair either, Ayumi.'

'I know that! Keima-kun... has to continue to do what he must do... and in the process … I think... I fear, that Keima-kun will find someone that he'll really like... but I don't want that to happen, I don't want to lose you... so please, don't forget who your first was, Keima-kun.'

Ayumi stated hopefully even as Keima nodded his head. Takahara Ayumi, his first capture and the one that had been the harbinger for all that would come later.

'You're... my first, Ayumi. Nothing would change that... and thank you, for letting me know that... That you wanted to be saved.'

'… Why wouldn't you think that?'

Keima was surprised when Ayumi grabbed him by his collar and pulled him forward to meet her face to face.

'Why would you think that? If... if it was someone else, it wouldn't be Keima-kun who had saved me! If you had tried something else to save me, I wouldn't... everyone wouldn't have seen how you were truly like, Keima-kun... do you dislike us that much?'

Ayumi was close to crying now and Keima had to tell her that it wasn't like that, for her to calm down briefly before flaring up again.

'Why don't you think first before saying that to me? To us? Don't you feel happy that all of us acknowledge you? Didn't you... want to save all of us? Didn't you choose to do all this... for us? For all of us to see the side of you that we wouldn't have if you hadn't interfered? This... all of this, was your choice... are you regretting it now?'

It was a question that Keima didn't ask himself at all, and when questioned by Ayumi, Keima was unable to give an answer.

'Then let me jolt your memory. Excuse me, Keima-kun!'

Before he knew what was going on, Ayumi had kissed him again, on the lips and his mind went blank as Ayumi's soft lips pressed against him for a few seconds as she pushed herself on him.

His hands, which had been lying limp at his side, slowly reached out to wrap around her hips and as their tongues played with each other and tasted each other. Keima found himself enjoying a tiny piece of heaven before she broke the peace to gulp a mouthful of air.

He would comment that Ayumi's kissing technique had improved but he was too shocked and embarrassed to say that. It certainly was the most intimate scene he had with a girl so far and Ayumi still sat there with his hands around his hips and she did not even seem to mind.

'Do you regret any of it, Keima-kun? Do you regret saving us, helping us... and falling... in love with us? You can deny it, Keima-kun... but you've reserved a small piece of your heart for us, haven't you? That's why you couldn't say no... that's why you've always been so soft...'

Hitting him on his chest, Ayumi smiled slightly as Keima shook his head and said that he was sorry.

'… it's... a little late for that... Keima-kun.

'Better late than never, Ayumi.'

'T-that's true... so... Keima-kun... tell me, what do you really think.'

Keima sighed before shrugging.

'I... I've never thought about it at all till you asked me this, Ayumi.'

'Eh?'

Out of all the answers, Ayumi had never considered that one and she sat in silence as Keima eased her off him, letting her seat by him as he looked at him sternly and fondly.

..

..

'I... I'm the **Capturing God**... I made the decision to save all of you by 'capturing' you... stealing your heart... I've never regretted what I've done... I've never regretted what I've done to make all of you fall for me and I... all my decisions that I've made were of my own free will and I would not take back what I've done... so to answer your question, Ayumi.'

Keima turned red as he ran a hand against her cheek, causing Ayumi to look away slightly.

'The moment that it became necessary... it was your _fate_ to fall in love with me. That is all.'

It was arrogant, ridiculous and yet felt right at the same time that Takahara Ayumi laughed and accepted his words.

'… Keima-kun.'

She couldn't help herself though and she teased him while adding.

'… Was that your first too?'

Licking her lips eagerly, Ayumi leaned closer as Keima recoiled. One was enough, if she wanted another one, it might be a little tough for him to handle right now.

..

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: Along that note, R&amp;R people! Plus, New Poll, so please head over to my profile to do it if you have the time. Your vote might and would change alot of things in the future! Plus, give me comments on my FF covers as I tweak them~<strong>


	11. The Paradox

The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox

**Chapter 11: The Paradox**

**Note: Characters from the Light Novel will be Included as well.**

..

Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

**Written by: wrathie**

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: This chapter is brought to you with the help of <em>Wolf's Honor! <em>Thank you for the edit as always~**

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><p>..<p>

The requests were almost over and his time with the girls was about to end. That was the agreement that they had all agreed on and after the last request have been granted, Katsuragi Keima would be free to live his life the way he wanted to.

So why was he reflecting on everything that has happened so far?

..

_'__'Thank you, Keima-kun. Thank you for saving me, for saving us... '_

Ayumi smiled as she looked at him fondly, her body so close to him that he could smell her scent and her breath on him.

She thanked her for saving her from the Weiss, told her that she did not regret or minded that it was him that did that.

That was her reply to him and it was something that he acknowledged, that he was happy about knowing.

Not that it stroked his pride or make everything seemed worth it, it feels... like he was being recognized, acknowledged by the people that he had reserved a small spot in his life for.

..

_'No... I guess, without... Katsuragi-san... none of this would have happened. This experience... I... have strengthened it.'_

Shiori muttered softly as she looked at her hands in surprise, in shock even as she admitted her own feelings. She had recalled what had happened and had become braver due to it, her experiences and her memories had made her stronger... even if she wasn't progressing further than she would have liked, she had indeed moved on.

He was contented to see her go forward, to try doing what she liked for her own sake even if he could not be with her as much as she would liked.

No, he... should never returned to her, or to them. If they continued derailing his thoughts like this...

..

_'… So do not feel regret about what you did for me. What you should regret is... letting me, your master, wait for you and you leaving me, commoner.'_

Mio remarked while she stood on her front door, the path that she has chosen was a difficult one but it was one that she has taken on her own will and her own choice.

Even if he was the one that had guided her to this path, even if he was the one that had literally forced this on her, she had the courage to take up this path.

Does he have the same courage to reap what he had sown? It was unbecoming of him to question himself and what he can or cannot do, he is the **Capturing God** after all. There is nothing that can phase him!

..

Asami smiled sadly as she looked down at her hands before speaking softly, almost as if to hide her words from him. It was futile in the end since she wanted those words to be heard whether she liked it or not.

'As... I know more than any one else... how difficult and painful it is to always wear a mask in front of others.'

She could read through him like a book, there was no one before her that could boast of that achievement. No matter what he tried to hide from her, she was able to peer through the wall that he had build around him.

Perhaps Ayumi has been right before, he had gotten soft. He had allowed the girls to enter his heart but it was different for Yoshino Asami, this girl who shared the same attribute was able to see his unease, to see his weakness and to try and accept all of him.

It was impossible for her to accept a **God** inside her but she was willing to try, even if it might hurt herself if she did so.

He... could not reject her or any of the other girls if they sought him out.

..

_''Your passion... isn't just to play your games, Katsuragi... it's about saving the 'girls' in the game, no? When you are talking about the games, you focused... on the girls, you wanted everyone to know about them, to know their plight and their struggles and... you wanted to save them, all of them don't you?'_

He did, that was the truth and for him to be told that by Kosaka Chihiro of all people was embarrassing to admit.

Still, he acknowledged her words, the courage as well as the long hours it must have taken for her to come to this answer. The many hours necessary for her to think about him, for him and to put herself into his shoes before she hit on the right answer, the perfect answer or the perfect excuse him.

'… Hah... I don't know what it is now.'

Was that an excuse? He didn't know but if Chihiro could accept that answer and to give it to him on a silver platter, it was probably the best one she could come up with.

Out of all the girls, Chihiro had the biggest benefit in the sense that he had not forgotten the promise he had given her. He had lent a helping hand when they needed it and has not isolated her and Ayumi.

'Still, was it true kindness that led her to give me that answer?'

He doubted that... she wanted an answer too and even if what she said was the truth, was it the _real truth_ that he was holding in him?

As the **Capturing God, **he must have the winning card in his hands at all time. That was to be expected of him.

..

_'I... I will make sempai fall in love with me too! It might not be now, or soon... but I won't give up, sempai! I... promise myself... and sempai that.'_

For a shy girl like Minami to say that it would mean that she was literally putting her life on the line to try and catch him. Was he worth that? Why would she be willing to put everything on him when he was the one that had abandoned her.

It was a mystery to even him but as the **Capturing God**, he knew the answer to that all too well. There really was no reason for her to do that and that's the reason.

'There is no reason, for love, after all.'

..

_'… Really, this is a very beautiful thing that you showed me, Katsu... No... Keima.'_

_Tsukiyo muttered while wiping away some tears in her eyes, her hands leaving Luna for a while before she got up from her seat. This ending that she needed and yearned for was granted by him and she showed signs of opening up to more people with his encouragement._

It wasn't that she wanted to progress forward, Tsukiyo had never felt that was necessary but for all the purposes of the recapture, Keima had to make sure that she was able and willing to accept others beside him.

No one asked him to do that but it was the most logical thing to do for her and for his sake as well. There was no use in Tsukiyo chasing a shadow, especially a shadow of him that only existed because of him.

That was why, he chose to show her the way forward without being asked or begged to.

'… My... duty... huh?'

..

_''I'm, just a normal, ordinary girl, that wished to be with the boy that she liked, Keima-kun... that's who I am...when I am with you, I don't want to be called a 'star' or an 'idol' or anything like that... I'm just, Nakagawa Kanon... the ordinary high student together with Katsuragi Keima, the boy that I like...'_

_Nakagawa Kanon confessed that to him as she clung tightly to Keima's shirt and body, not willing to let anyone get close to him and he returned the gesture by telling her that was the right answer._

All of them, all of the captured girls were really just girls at heart. They did not want anything fancy from him, they wanted closure, at least that's what he imagined their goals where.

The fact was that everything really wasn't complicated, the girls just wanted to know whether they still liked him and in Kanon's case, whether she still loved him.

All the other details and facts were all minor details and noise in the environment from all of their true objectives. They might be mad, might be upset or even confused but all in all, they just wanted to clarify their own feelings.

Whether they did that was something that he could influence but could not coax from them if they are unwilling. Girls like Kanon, Minami, Asami and even Ayumi were honest with themselves but others like Tsukiyo, Mio and Chihiro were unable to make up their minds for now.

They had a choice and he'll have to wait for their choice to be made before he replied.

..

_'Nonetheless, I will strive to remember the promise that I make you. No, I will train my mind and soul to remember it. It is something that I gained that is very precious to me... and I don't wish to lose it through that.'_

_Kasuga Kusonoki made a promise to him before they parted ways and despite looking a little lonely as he left, Kusonoki managed to give another honest smile as she bowed to him respectfully._

She did not thank him for what he has done unlike Ayumi but she acknowledged that whatever had happened between them was something that she would not regret and would keep close to her heart.

All of the girls agreed on that fact, something that Keima was sure of as they looked back at their memories fondly and some of the girls were even motivated by their past together to move forward.

So what does all of this mean for him? For him as a person and not as the **Capturing God? **It has been a while since he asked that question but now he could ask him that again.

His future as the **Capturing God** was guaranteed but wasn't it time for him to consider the future as well? With or without them... was he moving forward in the way that he wanted to?

* * *

><p>..<p>

All the facts, truth and their feelings were affecting him more than he had expected and he leaned against a wall in his room trying to recover from the date he had went with Ayumi.

Ayumi was his first, the person that started this entire chain of captures but with her blessings and thanks, Keima felt a little more confident in dealing with the girls, all of them actually.

His previous relationships with the girl was of apprehensiveness as he was never sure what they wanted or treated him till the actual day. That uncertainty can be due to their different point of views, experiences and feelings towards him and the façade that he adopted when he approached them.

He was not regretful for what he has done. Just like he had told Ayumi, everything that had happened had a reason for it and a meaning before and after the action itself.

Both mistakes, hard calls had been made in the past and upon reflecting upon all the things that have happened so far, Keima could only say that it was a testament to his skills, knowledge and the blessings of lady luck that everything has turned out well so far.

There were many scenarios which had blown up in front of his face but he had managed to get through all of them to capture the girls in the end as well.

Now that they had shown him what they wanted from him, does that mean he has to continue giving and guiding them along as well?

..

Even if there was no reason for love, there was also no reason for him to go out of his way and to abandon his title and life for them or even one of the, right?

'Why.. am I worrying about this?'

Katsuragi Keima asked himself as he saw his PFP in the distance and he picked it up before turned it on and entering the world that he has always lived in.

The world that he would still be living in if not for the devil that had dragged the **God** out of his world and into the real world.

Come to think of it, he has not faced the two of them that had started this fiasco in the first place, he has no idea when this madness would end but he dearly wished that it would end soon or perhaps right here, right now.

He was **God** and he has no reason to stay with the humans and devils that was trying to dethrone him at all.

Admit it, mere mortals and devils alike, you have now done what you have done to do.

He, the **Capturing God**, still sits comfortably on his throne, looking down on all that tries to reach the same level as he did while he started to do what he did best, going through the games and the heroines that he had to save from their unhappy fates.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'So... it's my turn, this Saturday.'

The person who had came closest to him, Fuse Aoba and the **Mai-Hime** looked at the calendar in her room momentarily before her eyes went back to what she had been focusing on before. It was going to take place in a few days and it was something she was looking forward to.

It had been fun and enjoyable seeing Keima's reaction to hers and in extension, Haqua's new attitude and treatment of him and she was ascertained that in the ultimate irony, the **Capturing God** was weak to direct assaults and of course, to being the target of a capture as well.

It was tricky to explain but basically if someone was active, assertive, stubborn and straightforward in their chase and capturing attempts of Katsuragi Keima, he would fall easily.

Being the **Capturing God, **Aoba knew that he was able to take control of the situation and had the capabilities to turn the tables on anyone who was unable to adapt quickly to his countermeasures and of course, be willing to set the pace for the entire capture.

It was difficult to sweep him up in one's own pace but if one achieved that and continued to do so, he would fall for that person easily.

AT least, that's what Aoba believed from her observations.

If anyone could continue to keep that momentum and tempo where they wanted to, the chances for him to be swept by their feet was incredibly high for someone of his calibre and skill.

Perhaps he had never been challenged at the top or perhaps no one had ever tried to 'capture' him before? The latter made more sense than the former as he had not reacted or had seemed so vulnerable when she challenged him while in the middle of her own capturing.

She was proud to say that she was someone who had bested him in everything but his games so far and she grudgingly admitted that she still had a long way to go before she could match up to him even with her current skills and his lack of time gaming.

By knowing that she has to be constantly on the offensive and thus forcing him to be defensive to keep up to _her _pace was a major breakthrough for her and perhaps the other girls as well.

Aoba didn't publicly declare her discovery but one could say that her success thus far in forcing Keima's hands was enough to tell showcase her efforts.

..

To a certain extent, her discovery scared her as it meant that he wasn't as high up as she'd imagined him to be. Being the **Mai-Hime** and an expert in the otome-game market and it's varieties, Aoba could quite easily classify him into few selected archetypes as though he was a capture target and of course, subsequently plan for a viable and workable capture plan for him as well.

'But... am I even... allowed to do this?'

She mumbled to herself while thinking about the situation that was laid in front of her. It might be one thing to look at it in a systematic approach and generally it was the acceptable way to do so as it was the most efficient, fair and impartial way to handle disputes and issues that might be delicate in nature.

In this case however, Aoba must not dispute and ignore the influences and effect she and the rest of the girls were influencing on the **Capturing God**. She wasn't proud to say that she had technically forced his hands to agree to their request, even if it was his fault in the first place.

It was a hollow victory for them if he had to be forced to agree to their request but in the end he had done so willingly, making some of them feel guilty at their initial actions and unfair opinion about him

Not only was she a party involved in this huge mess, **Mai-hime** was also an observant person and she knew that all of the girls were satisfied and overjoyed even at having their request granted by the **Capturing God**.

No doubt his actions were more to appease the girls than anything else but it seemed that whatever his intent or desired outcome was; his actions ultimately resulted in him capturing most of the girls again in the end.

Sure, their affection level has been unnaturally high for some of them, higher than one would have for the average classmate anyway and with a few minor tweaks, well delivered lines and scenes, it was easy to restore the feelings of affection they had for him to their original level.

..

No, the question now was how... they should all move forward. It was all and good that their past with him was resolved and everything was laid to rest for a brand new start.

'Should... I be the one to close this chapter after all?'

She was not the first heroine nor was she the last heroine and that gave her no right to press her own opinions to him about this matter. Being just one of a few individuals who had a stake in him, Aoba reasoned and knew that it was ultimately his decision to make in the end without her assistance or their influence.

No doubt that some of the girls, most of the girls even, had given hints on how they wished to progress forward with him and Aoba felt that although unfair, they had the rights to do so if they so wished.

However she felt that it was not the way forward after all. It is all fine and good if they wished for happiness with him and perhaps, just perhaps, the **Capturing God **could provide the happiness for the girls like they hoped he would.

She felt it was unreasonable for them to expect that of him, perhaps the only girl that felt so as she found the **Capturing God** to be impressive as what he is, the **Capturing God** and not anyone else.

If he ended up as another person, would he be the same person? As a bystander and with no relation to the other girl's relationship and capturing scenes with him, Aoba could not truly say which façade of the **Capturing God** that the girls have witnessed.

As the **Mai-hime**, she knew that the different faces that could have arisen due to the situation and like him, she herself knew how... emotionally detached he had to be in order to capture so many girls in such a short time.

Which one of his faces is the 'real' him? To that she could not say for sure but she was certain that amongst all of the faces that he had displayed when meeting the girls, when facing ll of them, he has not shown who he really was even once.

Yes, there might be times that his genuine emotions showed through but more often than not the mask over him has never been lifted at all.

'I... might never see his true self, would I?'

Feeling doubt for the first time in a long while, Aoba placed her PFP down as she compared herself to him.

It is extremely difficult for one faker to tell another faker to give up his disguise, especially if he knew of her capabilities and intentions.

Every single 'victory' she had scored against him was like a double-edged sword as he would no doubt be wary of her every move.

If she were to see his true self, she would have to be true to him as well. Nothing else would suffice but it was a calculated gamble and one that might not even pay off in the end.

Still, I must try... Just like how he did for me.. I... owe him that much.'

He had 'captured' her and had in along the way exposed her weakness for the two of them to learn and adapt to. It was time to show him that he was not the only one to have grown.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Good morning~!'

Elsi greeted Keima with a huge smile as today was the day where they were going out on a group date! Her, Kami-Onii-sama, Haqua and all of the 'captured' girls were going out together at Disneyland! It was surely going to be a great day ahead and she told Mari how much she was looking forward to the date today.

'Eh... I wish I can go too.'

Mari pouted while sipping the coffee that she had prepared for them and she turned to look sternly at Keima, who was still playing on his PFP while eating his breakfast at the same time.

'Keima... it has been years since we went out together...'

Mari was tempted to add some drama to her plea by wetting her eyes but she was promptly cut off by Keima who noted that they had went out earlier though, on her birthday.

'W-Well... that didn't count, it was my birthday.'

Mari tried to say that but was met with a raised eyebrow from Keima before he went back to his game, clearly not interested in continuing this conversation any more.

'… How I gave birth to a son like you is beyond me... like father like son after all.'

Mari nagged unhappily before being rebutted quickly by Keima, who commented that Mari was the one that had fallen in love with his father too.

'… Katsuragi-kun...'

Dropping the splinters of what had been a pair of chopsticks in front of him, Mari glowered angrily at Keima while Elsi tried her best to calm her down.

'I-I'm sure that... If Oka-sama wanted to go out with Kami-Onii-sama, Kami-Onii-sama would oblige too, desho?'

Looking meaningfully at him, Elsi sighed in relief as he simply nodded slowly in reply, causing Mari's anger to evaporate almost immediately as well.

'~~ That's my son~~'

Walking over to hug him, Mari smiled as the siblings excused themselves after breakfast to get dressed for their day out.

It was another first for Mari to hear Keima going out to play with Elsi and her friends and it was a momentous occasion for him too. Mari just hoped that Elsi remembered her promise to take plenty of photos for her.

'Enjoy yourself, dears!'

Mari reminded them as she prepared to et the cafe open for the day, only to be promptly surprised by their first visitor waiting for her impatiently on their doorstep, a certain girl that was the first person to be introduced to her by Keima.

'Ah... Tsukiyo... chan!'

* * *

><p>..<p>

It was indeed a rude shock to be greeted by Tsukiyo calmly sipping tea elegantly in the living room when Keima finally dragged himself out of his room to avoid being late for their little gathering.

'Ah, Tsukiyo.'

He mumbled weakly as it was obvious from the displeased from on her face that she was mad, very mad at being made to wait for him and as he slowly made his way to Tsukiyo, taking care to stay out of her arm's reach before sitting himself in front of her.

'You are late.'

A statement from her and Keima nodded slowly while gauging her response, the wrong move right now would surely bring disaster to him and he considered his response carefully before noting that her cup was empty and he seized upon that as a chance to appease her anger in some way.

'I'll prepare some tea for you, if you wish, ojou-sama.'

Dropping that line to her, Keima knew that he had failed in his immediate objective as Tsukiyo looked even crosser before she mumbled to him.

'Did you use that line on someone else before, Katsuragi?'

Her icy cold tone made it official and Keima swallowed nervously while trying to come up with a new line to hold her back before he stopped and narrowed his eyes.

Why was he so afraid of making her mad? It wasn't as if he had done anything wrong up till now? She wasn't the only person that could throw a tantrum after all! Perhaps he was obliged to treat Tsukiyo delicately to appease her anger at his 'cheating' on her before but with that matter resolved and her request granted, there was no longer any reason for him to continue to be at her beck and call, was there?

At least, that's what he thought at the moment before he reconsidered. Till the final request was granted, Keima was still at the mercy of the girls and whatever punishment they had in store for him.

Even if it had been a terrible week with so little time for his games and his heroines, Keima knew that it could be worse if the girls had followed Fuse Aoba's instructions for Hell on Earth for him.

If word ever got out that he was involved with Kanon, all hell would break loose and if that wasn't enough, to be found out that he was _cheating_ on her would probably be asking him to sign a death certificate on the spot.

..

Adjusting his collar and finding his composure again, Keima shrugged as he commented that his family was running a cafe after all and it would be expected for him to have done that before.

A blatant lie as Keima would rather die than to do that but since Mari was out of earshot, this lie was successful in making Tsukiyo fall silent and she nodded her head slowly in reply and perhaps recognition of his words.

'I expect the quality of the tea to match my standards, Keima.'

She offered weakly while Keima left to prepare the tea, Keima knew that he had taken the initiative from her and hurried to prepare the tea for her.

'Here you go.'

Returning with the pot of tea, Keima served her the tea without spilling a single drop while dropping two lumps of sugar into her cup.

'For you, ojou-sama, just the way you like it.'

Smiling at Tsukiyo as he stirred the tea for her, Keima presented the cup to her and watched with satisfaction as Tsukiyo blushed while accepting the tea, her hands touching his briefly when she took the cup from her. The look of surprise after she sipped the tea was gratification for him and Tsukiyo remained silent for quite a while till she whispered that it was good.

'A... ah.'

A look of surprised suddenly appeared on her face and she turned to the side anxiously with a blush on her face as another voice spoke up behind him.

'Ano... Keima-san... O-Ohayo...'

..

Speaking nervously, Keima whirled back to see none other than Yoshino Asami, the girl-next-door looking at him anxiously before bowing to Tsukiyo nervously as well.

It seemed that she had decided to walk with him to their destination today though and despite Tsukiyo looking very awkward, she did not comment on the situation. There must be an agreement made between the girls regarding this as Asami didn't seem too bothered by the development and choose to sit beside Tsukiyo after asking if it was okay.

Keima knew that Asami would rather sit with him while Tsukiyo would rather be alone so it must be a concession between the two girls and he poured Asami a cup of tea as well before asking if they were well.

It was difficult making small talk if the two of them were basically trying to ignore each other, not to mention how Keima was typically laconic as well.

'Thank you for asking, Keima-san, I'm fine... and I'm looking forward to the outing later.'

Noticing that Asami had to correct herself mid-way to say 'outing' instead of date, Keima held back a small sigh as Tsukiyo reacted to her words a little by narrowing her eyes and subsequently sipping her tea as well.

'… It is the same for me as well... let us look for beautiful things, _together_, Keima.'

Smirking a little as she placed emphasis on the word together as well as how she called him by his name, Tsukiyo seemed to be emboldened by her words and asked for more tea.

'W-Well... we'll be going out for the whole... day right? Keima-san... well, I prepared lunch too... so if you like, you can have some of mine... I prepared lots, so Kujyo-san could have some too.'

Asami had came prepared with a sizeable bag and this was in contrast to Tsukiyo, who was carrying her usual handbag with Luna. The weather forecast had said that there'll be good weather throughout the entire day but the jibe was obvious and Tsukiyo's mood darkened considerably as Asami talked about the weather while ignoring him.

'… I do not need that...'

Mumbling to herself, the score was currently standing at Asami 2 and Tsukiyo 1 and it would stay that way for a while as Elsi bounced down from the stairs carrying a large bag similar to Asami.

'Let's go, Kami-Onii-sama! Ah, Tsukiyo-chan, Asami-chan~ Ohayo~ let's go together too, kay?'

* * *

><p>..<p>

There was still time before the meeting time but as they had to take the bus to their destination, Elsi was taking no chances and she dragged Keima along with the other two girls with her as they made their way there.

'It sure is good weather~ Let's have lots of fun together, kay? there's a lot of things I want to try out!'

Before Elsi could say more, Keima was struck from behind by a speeding missile or rather, Takahara Ayumi as the athletic and genki girl slapped her palm across Keima's back before screeching to a halt beside Elsi.

'Good MORNING!'

Pumping a fist into the air as a greeting, Elsi and her exchanged hugs while Keima just nursed his aching back even as Asami fussed over him.

Tsukiyo on the other hand simply walked on, seemingly not interested in their antics at all. It would seem that either Tsukiyo was jealous or she simply did not like the company of these few girls.

It was common knowledge that even the captured girls had their own little cliques and groupings. Chihiro and Ayumi was one of the best examples but other examples include Tsukiyo and Mio, Kusonoki with Minami and trinity of Asami, Aoba and Shiori.

The girls that were mostly independent were Kanon and Aoba, the latter due to her own preference but if they were to hang out together, she would be in the company of Asami and Shiori without fail as the two girls looked up to her image as well as her ability.

For Mio and Tsukiyo,the running theory was that their temperament matched each other almost perfectly and it was no surprise to Keima to see the two of them getting along well. Well, if not getting along but at least understanding each other.

Kusonoki and Minami being firm friends or at least, Minami liking to tag along to the senior girl was a surprise to many but there were many hints as to why and how it could have happened.

The two of them were almost exactly the opposite of each other. One was a junior studying in junior high at the moment and the other their senior from a year up.

Minami gave the impression of a quiet and typical girl while Kusonoki was a popular and well-known figure in the school. It might have been more than likely that Minami's hero worship of Kusonoki had resulted in the two of them being friends and from how Kusonoki interacted with her, Minami was a good friend for her as well.

'Good morning to you too, Asami~ And you too, Tsukiyo-san~'

Being polite to all the girls present around him, Ayumi was all smiles as she started talking to Elsi about the plans for today.

..

Ayumi and him had not spoken at all after their date together and Keima reckoned that Ayumi would want to take things slowly and easy for her as well as for him. She had more or less straightened her own feelings and thoughts and was giving him the chance to come and accept her again into his life.

There was no way he was going to do that though and so he kept quiet and his distance from Ayumi. For Ayumi's benefit though, he had no idea that Ayumi had even considered their relationship further than he had ever done so and that meant that she was more likely than ever to keep waiting for an answer till the end.

That'll be troublesome... as well.

'Hey~ Where are we meeting the others again?'

Ayumi asked out of the blue and Asami meekly offered the answer without hesitation, causing Ayumi to nod and pull her into the gaggle of girls as well.

'Mm~ I see, I see~ Well, Asami~~ let's see what you prepared today, shall we~~'

Tugging at Asami's bag, the three girls started talking with each other again even as Tsukiyo slowed her pace down to walk beside Keima, gradually of course, she was totally not tired from setting that fast pace.

'Should I take the bag for you, Tsukiyo?'

Offering as he continued playing his game, Keima gave a barely audible sigh as Tsukiyo did pass him the bag and offered her thanks in return.

'You should not have came over, Tsukiyo... especially if you didn't pack an umbrella.'

Noting that she was getting uncomfortable with the heat even if she was just wearing her school uniform, all the girls were wearing one for some reason, even him, Tsukiyo blushed as she said that she'll be fine.

'… Right...'

Placing his PFP into her bag, something which made Tsukiyo open her eyes wider in surprise, Keima opened up his umbrella and continued to walk on while sheltering the delicate girl.

'T-Thank... you. Keima...'

Thanking him again, Tsukiyo took the chance to walk a little bit closer to him as she relaxed considerably under the shade. It had been thoughtful of him to do that after all and Tsukiyo felt a little better despite 'losing' to that other girl earlier.

'… Would... you spend time with me today? A-Alone?'

Tsukiyo whispered as the other girls were still caught up in their conversation to notice the two of them having quite a scene together. If one were to plaster the word: 'Lovers' on that umbrella, it wouldn't be inappropriate at all!

'If there is a place... that you want to, then sure...'

Keima replied quickly while wondering why he was capturing Tsukiyo all over again, well... as long as it doesn't give him trouble he supposed he could entertain them today.

'T-Thank you...

* * *

><p>..<p>

'Ah, all of you finally made it!'

Waving at them energetically was Kosaka Chihiro as well as Ikoma Minami, who seemed very excited at being able to spend the day together with her seniors. Sitting in the shade of the train station was Kasuga Kusonoki, who seemed a little awkward at being there together with Fuse Aoba, the **Mai-Hime**.

'Glad you made it, I thought I'll be late but I ran into the others here~ Minami-chan was here really early right?'

Rubbing Minami's hair while her junior protested, Minami didn't seem to mind as it was all in good fun as the seniors did dote on her quite a lot.

She had been intimidated by them at the start, especially some of the quieter girls like Fuse Aoba and Kujyo Tsukiyo but the person that she was most awed and intimidated by was Kasuga Kusonoki.

To think that the two of them had became friends and were going out together was a great feeling and a dream come true. Minami wasn't shy to admit that she was happier with all her seniors than her friends and she liked Takahara, Kosaka and Katsuragi-san. The three of them seemed to have so much energy and optimism. Other seniors like Yoshino, Aoba and Shiomiya-san were there to balance their energy out with their quiet comments and opinions and Minami felt that it was a nice contrast and was not surprised at how all of them got along with each other.

Other seniors like Kujyo or Aoyama-san was way above her league but they ignored her too, something that made her feel a little sad but not too much seeing that she knew she wasn't up at their level at all.

That said, it was the first time since their date together that Minami had seen Keima and she realized she wasn't as nervous as she was the last time.

Had she gotten used to his presence or had she... not loved him at all?

No, it's not that... if she looked at him for just a little while, Minami could feel her heart beating faster and faster and her mind going blank if she did not direct her attention to somewhere else.

Was this the limit to her resolve? She said that she would do her best to make him fall in love with her right?

..

'Ohayo, Katsuragi-sempai. Tha-thank you for inviting me to come with all of you too! L-let's enjoy our day together...!'

Smiling and greeting him, Minami tried her best to be natural but all her composure evaporated when Keima looked at him closely, scrutinized her even before he reached out to her.

'E-Eh? Ehhh?'

Minami panicked even as the other girls looked on, some a little disapprovingly while Minami could swear that she heard Kujyo-sempai clicking her tongue in unhappiness

'You put on make-up today, right, Minami?'

"A-Ah... y-yes... it's my first time trying some... well, I do put some... but today I was trying something different.'

Sticking her tongue out in embarrassment, Minami almost fainted when Keima reached out to run his finger below her eyes tenderly.

'Well, going natural suits you more, Minami.'

Keima remarked softly before turning to look at the other girls who were all suddenly very interested in their surroundings with the exception of one, Kosaka Chihiro as she grinned and approached the two of them.

'Having fun flirting with Minami-chan, Katsuragi? That's not good of you to tease her like that you know~'

Grinning from ear to ear as she swung her arms over their shoulders, Chihiro decided that she has teased Minami enough when her junior promptly disentangled herself from them and ran off to Kusonoki after apologizing to them both.

'Ah, she could try a little harder though...'

Chihiro remarked while Keima just looked and studied her for some reaction, she didn't seem to have any ulterior motive and he relaxed a little when Chihiro released her hold on Keima while winking at him.

'Like I said, it's really mean if you keep teasing her, Katsuragi~'

'Well, I'm just stating the truth...'

Muttering softly as he watched Tsukiyo stomp off, annoyed at his antics and he guessed he had earned that one. He really had a soft spot for Minami after all and it was picked up by Chihiro as she walked with him to the train station for shelter.

'I know that Minami-chan is cute, she's a junior under classman after all! I'll have to step in and intervene if you get too cozy with her~'

'You're saying that but you're just jealous, aren't you?'

Keima offered a simply retort but he didn't expect her to laugh at his comment.

'Just a little~ You know, you're quite mean to some of us... you treat some of us differently you know~ Don't think that we don't see it, we women are very sharp when it comes to love.'

'Is that a warning, Kosaka?'

'Hehe~ Maybe~~ A-Anyway, here you go, an offering for the Great **Capturing God**~!'

Offering a meat bun to him in a respectful manner, Chihiro laughed when Keima took it and swallowed it hungrily like it was the tastiest thing in the world.

'… I think I figured you out just a little more, Katsuragi.'

'Eh?'

Chihiro mumbled to herself but Keima didn't catch what she said.

'Nothing, nothing~ Well, I guess we should wait for the rest, huh? There's this little shop in the place that sells meat buns too, how about we get some there later?'

'If we have the time, Kosaka...'

Keima offered as the two of them walked to regroup with the rest of the girls that were waiting patiently for them.

Fuse Aoba had came out of the shade with the coaxing of Asami and the two of them sat together quietly while in the other corner was Tsukiyo, who was reading and staring a map of the place.

* * *

><p>..<p>

Kasuga Kusonoki was uneasy, why was she uneasy she knew well enough as she really wasn't willing to come to this place in the first place. Ever since she had remembered her memories and had realized that instead of going to Disneyland together with the guys in the dojo, she had went on a date with Keima … alone, just the two of them...

It was utterly embarrassing! And now she was going on a _group_ date with him, oh woe is her...

But Kusonoki hadn't been able to reject the invitation as Minami had been the one to invite her after all. This girl wasn't afraid of her reputation, she was awed though but not enough to not try and be her friend.

Friend... it has been a while since she used that word but she could definitely call Minami a friend of hers. Although embarrassed that Minami treated her like her an idol, she wasn't worshipping her either. She came to her for advice, for help with her homework or with friends and in turn, she would listen to Kusonoki's own worries about the dojo while she told of the latest happenings in fashion or in the entertainment industry.

In fact, Kusonoki would go to the lengths to say that Minami provided more for her than she could ever provide for her in return.

'There, there...'

Stroking her hair as Minami clung to her while trying to calm down her frazzled nerves, Kusonoki felt it was a shame that Chihiro had intervened just then while things were getting interesting between her and Katsuragi but she supposed that Chihiro had her own reasons for doing that. All of them were love rivals after all.

Kusonoki knew that she was feeling a little... unhappy at how Minami was favoured by Keima at times but she shrugged that traitorous thought away before it could affect her more.

'You should be a little bolder, Ikoma... you had his attention then.'

Who ever knew that the day would come when she was the one who would dispense love advice to someone else and she swore that this moment would be forever captured in her heart even as Minami nodded unhappily while sitting beside her. Minami had gotten very comfortable and used to her seniors presence and this resulted in more body contact between the two of them.

'Y-yes... but it isn't fair... I... I wanted to make him fall for me... n-not the other way around.'

Minami blurted out something outrageous that Kusonoki couldn't help but laugh at her words. Her, the shy and younger Ikoma Minami, trying to make Keima fall in love with her? That is a challenge indeed!

'Mm, I'm proud of you, Ikoma. Trying to achieve that is something admirable. Rest assured I would be rooting for you as well.'

Nodding her head in acknowledgement to her efforts and bravery, Kusonoki's face reddened when Minami shook her head and poked her in her stomach to get her attention.

'That's... not what I want... I want, Kusonoki-sempai... to compete with me too... I don't want sempai to put away your own wish and happiness for me.'

'E-Eh? W-What? What do you mean by that Ikoma, I... I don't...'

'You do, sempai, I know you do!'

Looking at her in determination, Minami's resolve reflected in her eyes and Kusonoki knew that she had lost to this iron-willed girl again. She had the determination and will power of someone way above her age and even if she herself might not know it, it's that stubbornness and determination that might allow her to achieve her dream in the end.

Well, if only Katsuragi Keima wasn't her eternal bane, able to bring her down effortlessly without trying at all.

'You have a long way to go, Ikoma...'

Especially if she wasn't able to even look at him properly in the eye... well, she knew that she had her own flaws and shouldn't compare.

Not when, she herself was unable to get off the fact that she owed him, owed Katsuragi Keima a huge debt for saving her from her problems. Until that was repaid, she probably couldn't see him eye to eye as equals...

'… well, not now anyway...'

The day that her pride could be shoved away by her own womanly instincts would be the day... till then, she'll just have to be patient.

* * *

><p>..<p>

It was interesting for Fuse Aoba to see the interactions between the girls and the **Capturing God**. She was aware that the **Capturing God** himself has his reservations about the situation but he was not going to make any comments when he was tied down like this, by all of them.

It wasn't natural, it just wasn't and she admitted that it was a flaw that she should have realized earlier but had only realized it when it was too late.

He wasn't comfortable with them as even at this point of time he had to carefully balance his own actions and thoughts between the 'capture' and the 'truth'. It'll be best if he did not hold anything back from them but from her personal experience and testimonials from the rest of the girls, he was adamant in not giving anything away.

Now, Elsi was a loose cannon and would say more if she could but since she herself had clammed up, there was no way they were going to have the opportunity to drag that information from him until he was willing.

Or when he learnt to trust her again... it was like what she had surmised the night earlier, he was still apprehensive about her and when he was around her as he had not even looked at her even once.

It tore her apart just a little to see him him treat her that way but she admitted that if she was in his shoes, she'll do the same thing.

'… A battle of wills that I will surely lose.'

Aoba whispered to herself and checked her own words with a small smile as Yoshino Asami blinked in confusion at her words.

'Is there something wrong, Aoba-san?'

'No there isn't... and please, there is no reason for you to be so formal with me.'

Aoba sniffed unhappily as Asami nodded again while leaning back and stretching herself.

'I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous I guess... I... don't like crowds... or being with too many people...'

'But you have done well on our previous gatherings.'

Aoba pointed out and Asami nodded while giggling, saying that everyone here was different.

'I guess I just didn't want to lose by default... so I'll try my best today as well.'

Asami nodded even as Aoba offered a small smile back in reply.

'That is all we can do for now.'

'Mm!'

..

All of them waited for a while before another member of the entourage appeared and due to her height, she was almost missed till she made her presence known by greeting all of them with an unsatisfied sniff.

'I've arrived. We can set off now.'

It was Aoyama Mio and although she wanted to show the confident side of her, Mio only managed to make herself look plainly embarrassed as Chihiro remarked that they were still waiting for Shiori and Kanon to turn up.

'Well... if you insist you can go on ahead...'

Chihiro smiled wryly even as Mio relented and stomped off to sit beside Tsukiyo, who made space for her even as Chihiro was chided by Ayumi for being too mean to the girl.

'Well, sorry...'

Scratching her head, Chihiro walked over to apologize to Mio but only ended up being in a small argument with the ex-rich girl before she was pulled away by Keima, who looked crossly at the two of them for arguing like this.

A lesser man would have tried to appease the two of them with words but the **Capturing God **was no man and he simply looked at them briefly before giving a disappointed sigh and walking away to join Aoba and Asami.

His preferred way of dealing with volatile but silly arguments was to make the two of them feel guilty at being so childish and from the way Chihiro and Mio apologized to the each other, it was working well enough and Aoba congratulated him on doing that perfectly.

'That was well done, **Capturing God**.'

'You flatter me...Aoba.'

He offered even as Tsukiyo and Mio sat there together, looking a little awkward at how the other group of girls alienated themselves from them. That said, Tsukiyo was nonplussed by the situation and she simply sat there, almost as if she was a doll on display while Mio sat beside her.

It was a while before Mio spoke and when she did, the two of them spoke so quietly that only the two of them were able to hear what they were discussing with each other.

..

_'It's just not fair. Why must he pick a date where I had to rush off earlier...'_

_Mio complained to Tsukiyo who looked mildly amused at how the ojou-sama was concerned about her own part-time job but she supposed everyone has their problems as well._

_Tsukiyo only got along with Mio as they shared the same concept of beauty and carried themselves with the dignity that only they could. It seems that the rest of the girls were partly accurate but one has to mention that Tsukiyo does like Mio as a friend for they understood each other to some degree._

_They might even have met each other once as their parents were well-known and established figures in the business world and so they shared the same tastes, same upbringing and even similar demeanour, meaning that they understood each other._

_Right now however, Mio was behaving in a way that was not befitting of her image or her upbringing but Tsukiyo ignored it for now as she knew that the two of them had more important things to talk about._

_'Hence, we should not waste our time on such idle banter. We should make use of the time that we have today.'_

_Tsukiyo didn't want to admit it but she knew that her stamina or lack of it, meant that she couldn't possibly keep up with the girls or him for that matter and she looked meaningfully at Mio, who seemed to understand what she meant almost immediately, saving her the trouble of explaining the details._

_'I concur... But how should we get about doing it?'_

_'We would have to work it out together, to make it perfect and satisfactory. Anything less would be disappointing and not worth the effort.'_

_Tsukiyo smiled wordlessly at Mio as the blonde girl considered Tsukiyo's proposal before she shrugged, a very commoner like behaviour that she might have picked up while working._

_'I concur. Let us put our heads together.'_

..

_Privately though, Mio felt that Tsukiyo could be a bit of bore at times with her preference for speaking in the lingo and manner that she was educated in. That was in the past though but when Mio was with Tsukiyo, she felt as though the time had been stripped by and she was back when her father was around._

_That was a wonderful and nostalgic feeling and perhaps that was her initial reason for interacting Tsukiyo. As time passed and the meetings with the other girls grew, Mio found that Tsukiyo had many similarities with her and as they shared common experiences in their childhood, found her to be a good listening ear._

_What was a little jarring for her was how after working and interacting side-by-side with the commoners for some time, she had gotten used to their lingos, their manner of speeches and it had gotten increasingly difficult to converse with Tsukiyo._

_Lately however, she had been more... 'normal', at least normal to her and was even asking her more about how life was like in her new 'world'._

_Mio was about to lash back at her when she realized that she had thought that way too in the past and she realized and came to terms with how she was coping with her new lifestyle on that same day._

_That was the day that Mio realized and remembered that Tsukiyo was supposed to meet Katsuragi Keima and when she met with her the next day, Mio was glad to see that she had returned to her normal self._

_Only different in many ways; she was more accepting and perhaps a little more optimistic, unlike her previously sullen and pessimistic self._

_It was like staring into a mirror and Mio realized for the first time that perhaps she was the more mature of the two of them after all._

_'Well, let us put our heads together...'_

_Tsukiyo's words shook Mio out of her thoughts and she smiled at her friend, trying to concentrate on the task at hand._

* * *

><p>..<p>

'G-Good morning...'

Lowering her head slightly as she bumped into no one else but the idol, Nakagawa Kanon, Shiomiya Shiori looked at her own book to distract her even as Kanon looked at her in surprise.

The teen idol didn't expect anyone to be able to see through her disguise, not when she tried her best to cover her hair with a large beret and her body with a large and uncomfortable large coat. That was no doubt one of the lows of being a well-known figure as she can't go anywhere without attracting attention and close scrutiny from the media or the public.

That was why she had no choice but to adopt a disguise whenever she goes out even if it shows her in an unflattering light.

Kanon had tried using glasses but apparently that made her look cuter to some and so after much trail and error, Kanon found out the best way was to hide her shocking pink hair as well as to obscure her figure.

It was common knowledge that people actually remember things through visual recognition, that is, through seeing an object and associating that object with something else and for most people Kanon was recognizable due to that pink hair of hers.

Take that away and it becomes difficult to recognize her, at least that's what she believed and which might work in theory.

That doesn't apply to the most die hard of fans however as they recognize Kanon through her facial details and would recognize Kanon even if she dyed her hair in another colour.

Actually it was quite easy to see the flaw in Kanon's assumption as she acted in some drama serials as well. How would anyone recognize her if she changed her hair style then? People recognize other's faces with the aid of a roughly triangle patch in one's facial features, that small patch is all that we need to recognize and differentiate someone, at least that's what some scientists belief and it seems to make sense.

How can someone be recognizable with their more defining features, like their eyes or mouth be covered?

Either way, Kanon was a little depressed at seeing her disguise fail to hide herself from Shiori but she needn't have bother as her beret, glasses and jacket made it very difficult for anyone to recognize at all due to how she liked to avoid eye contact and her habit of looking down on the floor.

That made it almost impossible for one to have a good look at her face, much less think and ponder on how she seems familiar.

..

It turned out that Shiori was only able to recognize Kanon due to how Kanon kept looking at her as she got on the bus, taking another seat directly in front of her and after numerous peeks and quite a while thinking about it, she was able to recognize the teen idol.

So 'bump into' wasn't the right phrase, she had merely gotten on the same bus as her and had recognized her in the end. That was the sequence of events that had brought her to sit beside Kanon.

Shiori didn't have much time to interact with Kanon as when she was able to make it to their sessions together, which was a rarity, Kanon was always in the company of Kosaka Chihiro or Takahara Ayumi and her group of friends.

As Shiori was a quiet individual who liked to spend her own time reading or at least, being 'part' of something rather than taking an active part, Shiori didn't speak with Kanon at all till now.

'Morning... Shiori... -chan desu ka? I'm sorry for not saying hi earlier! I wasn't sure if that was you...'

Clapping her hands together in apology, Kanon's words hurt Shiori a little as that meant that to Kanon she was just another face in the crowd. How could she be so mean? She thought that it was polite to remember the faces and even the names of the other girls that were her love rivals but could it be that Kanon never once considered them as rivals at all?

T-That's really mean! Even if they weren't as cute, talented or as brave as Kanon, they were still her love rivals right?

'….'

Realizing that she was digging herself into a bigger hole by herself, Shiori tried hard to keep her mind from going into overdrive till Kanon spoke out again, seemingly uncomfortably at the awkward silence between the two of them.

'Shiori-chan you kept hiding your face behind the book... it's a shame as Shiori-chan has such a cute face~ I'm sure that Keima-kun would agree if you emphasized your eyes...'

Kanon bit her lip before she pulled out her another pair of glasses and pushed it to Shiori, causing the other girl to panic a little while she tried to reject her.

'Please, Shiori-chan, just try it on! I'm sure that you'll look great with it!'

Pushing the glasses to her eagerly, Shiori was struck at how Kanon was like the exact opposite of her as she was outgoing while she preferred solitude, Kanon was confident in her own opinions while Shiori always second-guessed herself, Kanon does not shy away from the limelight while Shiori preferred to blend in with the crowd and most telling of all was how Kanon expressed herself and her feelings.

She did it with songs, a much higher level of conversation that she could never pull off while Shiori struggled to put her feelings into her words.

There was no doubt the love Kanon felt for Shiori and for a moment she felt like she could never win against her, the girl and the idol's love for Keima surely surpassed hers and Shiori was about to say that to her when she remembered what she was holding in her hands.

Her book and of course in extension, her novel and that thought gave her confidence to stand up against the teen idol again.

If Kanon could express her emotions through her songs, Shiori could do it herself with her written words and phrases with her novels.

Her love, can't lose to Kanon without a fight and like what Keima had told her, even if she can't express herself with words, she can express herself through her literary works and there was nothing with that.

Especially if Shiori knew that she could 'act' it out for Keima again even if he might dislike it. She has to be confident and so with that thought, Shiori shook her head and said that she really wouldn't like to try that on.

'… I think... Katsuragi-san... would not judge us with just our looks.'

It was just a hypothesises but it could be right and her words had an unexpected effect on Kanon as she looked away suddenly, almost as if she was struck by Shiori.

'Kanon...chan? D-did... I say... something wrong?'

Shiori asked in concern as the teen idol took a few breaths to calm herself down and she reassured Shiori that she was alright.

'I-I'm fine... really.'

..

Kanon was surprised to find how much emotion and determination was shown in Shiori's eyes and her words were said with so much conviction despite her stuttering that she just had to look away. It was not like Shiori had screamed at her and she was certain that was not a jibe at her as well.

Shiomiya Shiori, one of the girls that Katsuragi Keima, her crush, had been seeing together with her and Kanon admitted that she had not paid much attention to her.

It wasn't all her fault as she knew that within the girls themselves there were a few of them that stood out by themselves. One of them was Kujyo Tsukiyo, who basically demanded things from Keima-kun like she deserved them and of course Fuse Aoba, the one girl that Kanon knew that he was flat out unable to win an argument in.

Shiomiya Shiori belonged to the latter category, the girls who just hung around in the background and enjoying the attention that Keima still showed them. Not that Kanon was jealous, she knew that Keima-kun was too gentle and kind to everyone in particular and there was nothing wrong in him doing that bit of kindness.

Apparently she was wrong about what the girls themselves viewed it and to them that was _not_ kindness at all. Those girls were in love with him too and his gestures only lit their flames of love on fire even more. They were not giving up without a fight even though they knew who they were going against, her, Nakagawa Kanon.

It was something terrifying to know and yet at the same time gratifying. Now that she knew that the stakes that she was fighting for was higher than she ever imagined, Kanon would have no regrets in pulling out all the stops.

Today, was the day that she made Keima-kun fall in love with her as well!

'I'm looking forward to today, aren't you, Shiori-chan?'

'… I am... I will.'

Shiori managed to say after a while and she was surprised when Kanon offered a hand to her out of the blue.

'No... regrets, okay, Shiori-chan?'

Her words could mean nothing else and after a brief moment of hesitation, Shiori nodded and bravely shook her hands as well.

'None... Kanon-chan...'

* * *

><p>..<p>

It was a big surprise to see Kanon and Shiori reach the meeting spot together and with their arrival everyone was here and the girls instinctively looked at Aoba Fuse for what to do next, something which was noted by Keima as being very disturbing.

Kanon didn't even run straight up to him when she saw him and she seemed contented or at least satisfied in letting Aoba take the limelight today. He assumed that the girls were doing that out of politeness than anything else as today was Aoba's day and not theirs... even so, one can never tell what the girls thought amongst themselves privately.

'Let us go in then, we have the entire today together with Katsuragi, so we should enjoy ourselves.'

Putting on a small smile as she stood up and passed the tickets to everyone, Aoba wasn't surprised when Asami and Kanon strode up immediately to take their positions besides the two of them.

As a friend and somewhat of an advisor to Asami, Aoba was heartened to see that Kanon didn't seem too perturbed by how forward Asami was. Even though she was not clinging on to Keima's hands like the idol was, Asami was not budging from her spot beside Keima. To Kanon's benefit, she herself was not making too much of a fuss about the situation as the three of them went in through the gate together while the attendees and employees bowed and greeted them when they entered.

It was clear from the get-go that although the girls had made plans on where they wanted to go together they did not have a concrete plan on how to start as all of them had different ideas on where to start first.

As they stood around awkwardly at the front gate of the park, Aoba took control again and told Keima to head off with Asami and Kanon first along with whoever wanted to go with them.

'This is a group date, but I would wish that at any time there shouldn't be more than three girls with Katsuragi, that would be too much even for him. As for the rest, I suggest we take turns in hourly intervals?'

As Aoba dismissed them, she was amused to see Elsi recognizing and spotting Haqua hiding away in the distance and she shook her head while muttering that she didn't need to hide from them at all.

'… there is something I have to do today after all.'

Aoba muttered to herself and she was startled to hear Shiori ask her what she needed to do today. The quiet librarian had impressed her by coming to their meeting spot together with Kanon and apparently was in a conversation with her and Aoba raised Shiori's stock value by a little even as she shook her head.

'Closure... I have to seek closure.'

'Hai?'

* * *

><p>..<p>

For Haqua, this was the start of an extremely frustrating day as she knew of the group date that was happening later on that day but she just couldn't bring herself to just drop by seeing that she was not one of the 'captured' girls. Sure, she had been present to most of the meetings due to Elsi or Aoba's insistence but she was _not_ a 'captured' heroine.

Right? Right...

So she couldn't just waltzed in and join them despite wanting to... she had became quite firm friends with Elsi's friends, Ayumi and Chihiro and their energy could rival Elsi's in many ways. They were just humans, but they were fun to be with and Haqua liked the two of them.

Haqua liked the quieter girls as well like Shiomiya Shiori and Yoshino Asami, the two of them were always very polite to her and to her surprise, very respectful as well. Shiori in particular seemed to lapse into silence once in a while and it was only after Aoba explained that she was probably too overwhelmed with her own thoughts to say much and when Shiori shook hands with her, Shiori looked like she was replaced with a plaster statue as she literally froze on that spot.

Thankfully Asami wasn't like that and even though Haqua found her hero-worship of Keima jarring, it was her life and she had no right to comment on what was right and wrong after all.

The same cannot be said for her relations with the other girls as she knew that she wasn't very welcomed by the Kujyo Tsukiyo or Aoyama Mio. The two of them seemed to see her as an oddity the same way that they saw Elsi, beings which were different from them and she was fine with that. What bothered her a little was how Elsi seemed to be getting along with Tsukiyo but not Mio, the other girl finding it difficult to converse with Elsi at times.

Friendly rivalry remained between her and Kasuga Kusonoki due to their first meeting with each other. As she recalled it, Kusonoki had wanted to settle things with Keima in a physical matter and it had came down to her to stop Kusonoki before she injured Keima.

Circumstances happened and the two of them were involved in a physical test of their skills and to Haqua's disbelief and to Kusonoki's bitterness, their bout had ended up in a draw between the two of them.

Kusonoki was undoubtedly better, faster and stronger with her blows but Haqua had more skills and tricks up her sleeve thanks to her raiment and she was able to hold Kusonoki off. Yes, she, a demon was unable to defeat and had to result to holding off a normal human with all her strength.

After that bout, the girls were understandably more mellow and approached the situation with ideas and discussions on non-physical methods of persuasion, the results of which one could see today.

Finally, there was one girl that were plainly afraid of her and that girl was Ikoma Minami, who had witnessed her bout with Kusonoki and despite Haqua knowing that she had her reasons, the damage was done and Minami ran from her every time Haqua approached her. Well, it was just a minor detail but the most important part was how Haqua really didn't know how to deal with Fuse Aoba.

The girl genius had her running in circles ever since the first time that they met and although Aoba had her moments, one of them being able to secure Keima for lunch with her help. It was embarrassing to admit but Fuse Aoba was someone who was way above her league in many ways than one... even her chest size was one size above hers.

There seemed to be nothing that she cannot do better than her and that made Haqua very nervous when dealing with Aoba, who knows what she would be scheming next.

..

'Let's go, let's go, Haqua~'

Pulling her hand, Elsi was all smiles as they queued up to have a go in the race karts followed with Chihiro and Ayumi. The three of them girls had decided to hang together after being 'dumped' by Keima. No, it would be more accurate to say that the two of them had their date 'snatched' away by Asami and Kanon and she felt a little bad for them.

'So how do we play this...'

Looking in confusion at how the others in front of them got into the vehicles and they drove off when a flag was waved.

'It's a race, you haven't been on one of these before eh, Haqua? Well, we can have a race together then~ The first person to get back to the starting line wins.'

Chihiro explained while Ayumi just stared wide eyed at another attraction just beside the current one, a UFO ride and she didn't say a word even as the other girls filled Haqua in on what was going on later.

'I guess I'll be going with Ayumi later on. Will the two of you be taking a turn as well?'

Asking that question seemed to awaken Ayumi from her daydream and she snapped to attention when Elsi said that if it'll be okay, she wanted to as well.

'Kami-Onii-sama has been ignoring me for the past week... that's not fair at all~'

Pouting, Elsi found herself being teased by Ayumi and Chihiro, who asked her if she was jealous while Haqua's heart quickened at the prospect. Was she going to go out with Katsuragi after all? S-she wasn't mentally prepared at all!

'T-That's not it!'

She told herself crossly and found herself in the centre of the attention as everyone else just stared at her outburst in confusion.

'… Haqua?'

'Is something wrong?'

Saying that everything was fine, Haqua couldn't suppress the anxiety that she felt even as she got into the race-kart and she was caught napping when Ayumi and Chihiro dashed forward when the lights turned green.

'H-Hey! Wait for me!'

* * *

><p>..<p>

It took a while but eventually Fuse Aoba was able to sit down with Keima in a small cafe without any further distractions or people around her.

It had been extremely difficult to do so as he was constantly on the move, whether it was with Mio and Tsukiyo in their tour of the museum or with Kusonoki and Minami together at the arcades.

It was understandable that the other girls were all excited about spending the day with him and she had given them a little lee-way to have fun for now. Aoba wasn't sure that the person in question was having fun though but she told herself that that was really the least of their concern.

He had made the choice to come down and thus he was reaping the punishment or the seeds that he had sowed by agreeing to her request.

Sure, his hands was forced but if he was the true **god**, he should be able to keep everything under control, under his pace and where he wished to lead the girls too, be it heaven or hell.

His skills were being tested and Aoba was glad and gratified to see him pass the test with energy left to spare.

'So... you choose to be neutral till the end, **Capturing God-sama.'**

Smiling respectfully to him as she ordered a cup of black coffee from the attendant serving them, Aoba watched evenly as Keima ordered a pot of tea for himself before answer tersely back.

'That has always been the case as it is the ideal situation to be in, Fuse. Or should I call you **Mai-Hime** today, you shipper.'

He was cross at her, no, not cross, that was flattering herself, he was mad at her and he had all the rights to be.

'Please call me whatever you wish, Kami-sama... I am forever indebted and below you after all. I am aware of that much at least... despite the skills and knowledge that I've gained throughout my journey to this point... there are still things that I cannot compare against you.

'You flatter me, use, my title and throne was gifted to me due to my dedication to the **world.** Belonging to our side, you should understand that as well.'

Aoba was specialized in more of Otome-games but yes, she was quite well versed and knew what Keima was talking about. He was the one who thought her that at first and she nodded while leaning back on her chair thoughtfully.

'I do acknowledge that. Your love for the **world** is undeniable but... I am afraid that is changing even as we speak.'

Aoba took a moment to consider her own words as Keima narrowed his eyes at her. It was her fault this happened in the first place, wasn't it? He was stuck in damage-control mode till she was satisfied so why was she not happy with this outcome. Didn't you think this up to in the first place?

'It... is not my intention to drag you from your throne, Kami-sama... that was not my intention at all. I admit that I am one of the catalyst that started this chain of reactions and was the guide that brought us to this point. I admit all of that, it is... the least I could do as well. Lapses have happened, errors in judgement have been made in my side.'

Looking down and falling silent as a waitress served the coffee and tea to the two of them, Aoba took the time to readjust her own feelings about the matter while Keima simply looked back at her, challenging to finish her provocative words.

..

He was the **Capturing God**, someone who she looked up to and of course, viewed as someone special but she came very close to admitting that she had betrayed him and it was something that he could not overlook.

There might be moments in time where his lost sheep had lost their way and perhaps even lost their faith in him.

That was their choice and despite him feeling the need to rectify their error, Keima knew that the right actions to take was to always stand for what he believed for.

To now aver, adapt or change his core values despite everything or everyone else tells him to. Perhaps there could be concessions to be made, methods to be amended but all of them would have to be within the acceptable range of deviation from his values.

All the girls seemed to be happy with that, if he changed himself he wouldn't be Katsuragi Keima after all.

Fuse Aoba was the exception, the only person who seemed to want to change him directly or indirectly with her actions. She wanted something form him, perhaps something precious about him or perhaps she wanted to know what made him tick.

This was something that goes against everything that he stood for as he was **God,** he should be above them all and despite knowing that more than anyone else, Fuse Aoba was still trying to reach for the forbidden fruit of knowledge or risk trying to open Pandora's Box.

There was a folk tale called: 'The crane that returned the favour' where a crane who has returned to help his saviour was forced to leave when he discovered her secret identity.

That was the exact scenario here as by forcing his hand, trying to discover who he really was, she was forcing him away from her more for her sake than for his. If not for the unfilled wish that Aoba bad bargained for him, he would rather not have anything to do with her considering what she has repaid his kindness with.

..

'… I have nothing more to add on... but...'

Aoba interrupted him as he was about to lash out at her and for her benefit, she did flinch a little at how he opened his mouth, ready to let loose a barrage of accusations that Keima relented just a little when he saw how much emotion she was showing today.

She was the Ice-Princess of the entire group of girls and she was also the pseudo leader of all of them, this was shown quite clearly today.

By showing a moment of weakness, she was letting the momentum and advantage that she had over him to slip away. Was this part of her plan after all or was that a genuine slip up and confession to him?

'But to say that... I hope to be forgiven. Although I should have realized this from the start... I had not. That is my sin and my error. All of this, the changes that I've forced on you, concessions you have to make was indirectly due to me. Your actions to us, for us have been warranted by your experience and knowledge of the situation at hand.

As for myself, I cannot say that I had done the same thing. For the mental anguish, stress and of course, hard decisions that you have to make due to my slip up, I apologize.'

Fuse Aoba, the **Mai-Hime** got up and bowed to him respectfully and of course sincerely as she held her head down for several seconds before raising it.

Being an Ice-Princess archetype, Aoba still thought that she had to be more sincere than most despite her archetype symbolizing that any apology from her was a rare event worth noting but since she was in Keima's good books at all, she'd rather go for broke.

That doesn't mean that she wasn't sincere there, she really was apologetic.

'Would you forgive me? Forgiving me for not following the rules of engagement?'

It was her last sentence that rouse something in Keima and for a moment he seemed to want to speak out but decided against it as he contemplated her words for a while.

When he did spoke though, he looked to the side while asking her to continue.

'Rules of engagement... huh? Fuse... it has been a while since anyone has spoken to me on that. I believe the rules of engagement only applies to capturing targets... So am I one to you after all?'

It was a question, not a statement but from Fuse Aoba's little start at being found out, Keima had his answer and it really pissed him off.

'… you are incredible... well, that is to be expected from the **Capturing God**. You are the one that taught me about the rules of engagement in the first place. Every encounter would have to begin with something, regardless of the setting, a trigger from a previous scene or due to the passing of time but at the same time, there are established rules on how one can engage an encounter.'

'That is accurate, it applies to all encounters provided that they offer the chance to raise love points for a capture. Of course, it is true that those same rules can be used in both the **real** and the **world.'**

Nodding his head at Fuse's summary, Keima waited for her to continue while sipping a sip of his tea.

Brushing her hair back, Aoba looked at her coffee thoughtfully for a moment before gulping a mouthful to keep herself alert. She needed to be nothing less in a battle of wits and wills against the **Capturing God, **especially if she was alone without backup.

His presence when he was serious was befitting of his title and she felt pressure just looking at him in the eye. Aoba felt happy too as this was a sign that he was treating her seriously and she sighed.

'Yes, that is accurate and that is where it all went wrong. It had been wrong at the start... the fundamentals were solid, my theories were accurate and my method was successfully seeing that I had forced your hand, kami-sama... I admit that I thought that was my greatest triumph yet... but at the same time, it was all wrong. The gears had aligned itself in the wrong way from the beginning.

The basis of my theory and of my capturing road map was flawed at the base. There had been no base in the first place. If you are the **Capturing God, **the god of capturing himself... then it was impossible for you to be a 'capturing' target and the rules of engagement did not apply at all.'

..

Aoba's words struck a chord with Keima and he nodded his head in agreement. That was the same conclusion that he had ended up with in the end. He was **God,** someone who had gone out of his way to help his lost lambs and not the other way around.

He was not the one being 'captured' here or rather, as a **God** there was no way he could be captured.

That was the flaw in this entire façade that Aoba had pulled over his eyes. If there was a case where he could be captured, then it would have to be the time when he was the protagonist of the story and had relinquished his role.

Since he was still firmly in control of the situation, no matter what Aoba did to try and wrest control from him, it was futile.

'… you are decent player, Fuse... that said, you are playing the wrong game.'

Keima's words made Aoba laugh, a rare sight and Keima took the opportunity to sip his tea. Now that she had confessed to him about her mistake, his annoyance and anger against Aoba had mostly been relieved. She too was a lost sheep that had lost her way but unlike other lost sheep, she had found her way back in front of him.

'It is embarrassing to admit that... but yes, perhaps that has been true. I may have told myself that I am more than capable of being a player character, without realizing that in the end, in the **world** there is only one player games.'

This earned a chuckle from Keima and after a while, the two of them just laughed at their own little jokes while sipping their drinks.

'That is my error and my flaw, you are the protagonist, Kami-sama... and till the end of this story, you would forever be. As a heroine, I should have the patience to wait and to believe, is that not right?

Instead of taking that role, I had tried to turn the chessboard over and taking it into my hands to change my own role, not knowing that it was impossible.'

'That would be enough, Fuse... You have made your point... by understanding the mistake you have made, I can forgive you... as at the same time, you showed yourself to be worthy to be called my one and only student.'

As Keima reached out to stroke her hair, Keima was rewarded with a full on blush from Fuse Aoba as she recoiled violently at his touch. Never had she reacted like this before but he was even more surprised when she mumbled that she wanted him to do it again.

'Please... I wish to be acknowledged more... it has been... so hard, to reach this far...'

It must have been a lonely journey to reach this point, she was the **Mai-Hime**, one of the possible successors to his throne that his **world** had accepted but one have to remember the hard work and sacrifice she must have did to update her own blog, submit her own ideas, he own capturing road map... and the love for the characters to be recognized as such.

As to what Fuse said that she lacked, Keima knew that she lacked love. She tends to show favouritism to some specific archetypes and to his amusement, it seemed to be archetypes that fitted his personality.

The **Mai-hime** had said once that she was always chasing after someone, someone that would like to meet and even when she did reach him, he wanted to keep her at arms length due to how she was.

That must have been terrible for her even if she had not admitted that as such.

Now that she had been forgiven, all the emotions that she had been bottled up could be released in one fell swoop and that was why she had given up so easily when she was praised.

Gone was the Ice-Princess, the **Mai-Hime**, the one in front of him right now was Fuse Aoba. The girl that had fought so hard to reach him at long last, not as the genius girl, but as the girl who liked Katsuragi Keima.

In a way, the same way as Nakagawa Kanon, Fuse Aoba had held her own feelings in check to help the girls gain a foothold within him. Now that the time has passed, it was time for her to get her scene as a heroine.

* * *

><p>..<p>

'I.. I would have to request that you... not tell any one about my breakdown.'

Wiping away the tears in her eyes as she sat beside Keima, her head resting on the table as Keima continued to stroke her hair gently and fondly.

Aoba never really liked keeping her hair long as it was so hard to maintain and right now, with her hair barely touching her shoulder, Aoba wondered how it would feel like if he ran his fingers through a much longer length of hair.

It was a weird thought and Aoba immediately banished it from her before coughing and sitting back on her chair again.

'Please... Kami-sama...'

The barest signs of a blush was still apparent as Keima nodded his head in promise.

'It won't get out through me... though I'm unsure if there were other witnesses to your break down, Heroine.'

Keima seemed to want to dig at her a little more but she let it slide as she tried to get her game face back on, a considerably hard task considering she had just lost all the momentum and initiative she had over him.

Being a heroine huh... it didn't seem that bad but there was something left that they have to discuss between the two of them.

'S-Stop it... K-Kami-sama.. w...we have more urgent matters to turn to. Despite... myself wishing that this could go on... it is undeniably not to be. You have granted our wish, all of us... to help us remember what we have felt and had been covered up for us. For that, we thank you... I am certain that I am saying this on behalf of all of them when I said so.'

Aoba struggled to keep her cool and seeing that Aoba was actively trying to get out of the scene that she had fought so hard to get, Keima relented and listened to her.

'However, what lies ahead of us is solely in your hands. No doubt that all of us want answers... some of us has gotten closure, some of us has been given initiatives to go on... some an opportunity to reflect on the past and to plot the future... but I believe that all of us want to know the answer to the question that you have been asking yourself.'

Putting a hand on Keima's hand, Fuse Aoba stared at Keima as she asked the final question of this chapter, of this arc and possibly the story.

..

'Who are you, Katsuragi Keima. Are you **God** or are you human? When you answer that question truthfully, is the time that all of us get our answer as well.'

..

Was he **god** or was he human?

Being a **god **meant choosing the **world **over the **real **and by being human, it meant that he would be abandoning the **world** that he has always embraced.

'It is difficult question and one that I have not been able to solve or to figure out. You are an enigma, being a being that can be both when looked at different scenarios. You are no doubt the protagonist but at the same time, you are the player of the game. This is... a game for you, or is it not? I have not been able to know as you have all the cards and I do not. I may have been able to peek at the card that you have in your hands but not the card that has been dealt to you.

Please, **Capturing God-sama**... no, Katsuragi Keima-sama... I, Fuse Aoba... would like you to decide now... whether you are **God** or _Human_. With the answer, I know what we can do... to preserve this situation, the balance that you crave and have been fighting for. I pledge this, with my name and my title of **Mai-hime. **Even... if means that you have to take away our precious memories from us**'**

Looking at him, Fuse Aoba held his breath as he seemed to consider her question before a small, lonely smile appeared on his face.

'There has always been one answer, **Mai-Hime**, you should know that more than anything else.'

A lonely smile that she has seen only once, immediately after confronting him about the truth and Aoba felt shivers run up her spine at how handsome he looked at the moment, as if he was literally glowing when he delivered the verdict that she and all the girls had been waiting for.

* * *

><p>..<p>

..

'Ah, Katsuragi?'

Blinking in confusion as her friends in the trek team asked her about the _Otamegane_, Takahara Ayumi shrugged while asking them what they wanted to know.

'You're friends with him right? As in... real friends, not classmates?'

'Yep, Katsuragi's a friend of mine... What's with that look of surprise for? He's surprisingly a nice guy when you know him.'

Jogging on the spot to get her blood flowing just right, Takahara Ayumi laughed again when her friends discussed her words amongst themselves. Even if no one believed her, she knew that she was saying the truth and she skimmed the stairs hoping to see his figure in the shadows.

'Aw nuts~'

Kicking a stone away from the track, Ayumi tied her hair up in a ponytail even as her friends asked her again.

'Really...? He's the _otamegane _after all~ Did something happen between the two of you, Ayumi?'

They started teasing her but they were shocked to see Ayumi laughing at their comments, clutching at her stomach to stop her from laughing too much and after wiping her tears of laughter away, Ayumi shrugged while getting into position again.

'Well, what do _you_ think?'

With that statement, Ayumi dashed off like a speeding missile in surely another personal record-breaking run as she felt that her heart and her body seemed lighter than ever before.

..

'… You seem to be quieter than usual, Mio-chan.'

Blinking in surprise as she was asked that by one of her regulars, Aoyama Mio tilted her head in consideration before shaking her head.

'You're just imagining it, commoner. Why would _I _be worried about anything at all.'

Narrowing her eyes as she roughly exchanged the colder bread she had in her basket with a much fresher one, causing the elderly lady to laugh at her antics again.

'Oh my, Mio-chan... back to your normal mood again aren't you? That's nice to see you so energetic.'

Laughing to herself even as Mio worked the cashier, Mio gave a small jump as her customer asked her about the boy that had been working with her that one time.

'He looked like a nice boy... Mio-chan always likes to work on a one-person shift... so I was surprised to see him helping you out, Mio-chan.'

That was right, it was a mistake to take shift together with _him_ on the busiest hours of the whole day but since it has already been done, she shouldn't think too much about it.

'Hmph, he's everything but that. You won't see him ever again, now go away, I'm busy.'

Crossing her arms even as the elderly lady left the shop while wishing her well, Mio slumped down against the cashier before flicking away at the receipts that she had collected today.

'… stupid... it's not that I want him to come over again... or anything...'

..

'You've been working harder than usual Kanon-chan? What is the matter?'

Looking over Kanon's shoulder, Kanon's manager, Okada Tomoe was confused to see even more stage lines in the folder that Kanon was carrying with her. She would have thought that Kanon was working on her homework so why was she practising her lines?

Anyway, Kanon's little drama serial was about all wrapped up and there was only a few more scenes before filming was wrapped up so where did these lines came from.

'Gomen, it's a secret... I think, I'll want to pursue any path as well in the future. I hope that Okada-san would continue to support my decision though.'

Smiling while rubbing away at her eyes in an attempt to ignore the fatigue, Kanon returned to her script when Okada did agree to her request.

'I'll do my best, Kanon-chan, as always of course.'

Kanon nodded but when she stepped out of her changing room, she did breathe easier before pulling her brand new PFP out and plugging into it.

'… Now then, how did it go again?'

Rubbing her throat and drinking a sip of the honey herbal concoction that she had prepared for herself, Kanon tried her best in the new line of work that she had discovered while accompanying her most precious person that fateful day.

..

'Well, I'm surprised that you really finished it, Shiori.'

'T-Thank you...'

Looking happy as she submitted the manuscript to the chairperson, Shiomiya Shiori looked at her expectedly while her senior flipped through the pages for a quick glance.

'Hmm... a romance novel huh? I wouldn't expect you to write that...'

'Eh... w-why not?'

Looking a little surprised at how quickly Shiori reacted to her words, the chairperson of the Library committee thought for a moment while looking through and she shrugged.

'I'd thought that you'll be taking ideas from the books that you have been reading lately... but I suppose I was worried for nothing... this story, it's an original isn't it? It might be a little simple, but I could see Shiori's style inside it.'

'… my style...'

Closing her eyes and leaning back against her chair in relief, Shiori spent a few moments contemplating about what she has written before she nodded while resting her head on the table in front of her.

'… I think... so too... it's something, that … I have to write... as I can't lose...'

'Can't lose?'

Shrugging as she dropped the question, the chairperson left Shiori alone to her own devices as she left but before she walked out of earshot, she called Shiori again.

'Shiori, I'm looking forward to the sequel. This story isn't over yet, right?'

Watching in satisfaction as Shiori nodded her head energetically before reaching for her notebook and pen, she left while wondering about the 'K x S' written clearly at the end of the story.

'I wonder what that meant?'

..

'Why do you ask that all of a sudden?'

Frowning as she was suddenly interviewed by the Schools newspaper and the topic was of course, regarding the person that she had been seen speaking with in more than one occasion. There had been plenty of gossip going around the school about that particular person but right now the spotlight rested on Kasuga Kusonoki and the current head of the Girl's Karate Club.

'Welll~ the school and their inhabitants has the right to know the _truth! _So if you don't mind, tell us what happened between the two of you~'

Helming the interview was a second year student who was well known for her stubbornness and determination to dig as deep as possible to unearth juicy news for the school paper. Kusonoki knew that and she realized that if she backed away now, she would probably dig up another unsavoury truth in the quest for some juicy story and she sighed in resignation.

Taking that sigh as consent, the nosy interviewer pulled out her notebook and listened intently.

'Katsuragi has helped me out in the past. It was something that I was unable to deal with by myself and as such, he helped me and I was successful in a task of mine. Due to that, I am in his debt and has been trying to repay the debt, unfortunately I have been unable to do so even now.'

It was the truth and from the expression that the interviewer was giving, it was good enough for a scoop and she started on her way again.

'W-Wait! Are you admitting that there is something that you cannot do that the _Otamegane_ can do?'

If there was any doubt of which side she was standing on before, Kasuga Kusonoki blew that question away when she slammed a fist and another hole into yet another concrete pillar before saying that it was the truth.

'And his name is Katsuragi, a honourable person who I owe a debt to. I will defend his honour if necessary.'

Cracking her knuckles to make the duo flee, Kusonoki sighed before shaking her hand to relieve it of the pain.

'That was a little too much... ow...'

..

'Since I started, why not get some for him too.'

Muttering to herself while she was hanging out with her friend, Terada Miyako, Kosaka Chihiro picked up another meat bun while her friend looked at her in confusion.

'First it was Ayumi, now you too... what's happened?'

Looking at her curiously, Miyako didn't get a reply from Chihiro as the girl popped to the cashier to pay for the food that she was going to bring back to school for lunch.

'Eh? Sorry, I didn't quite hear you, Miyako. Could you repeat that?'

Scratching her head in apology, Chihiro looked at her for a while but Miyako simply shook her head and commented that love itself was blind.

'Eh? Well... I agree with that. Who would have known eh?'

Smiling happily as she cradled the two meat buns in her arms, Kosaka Chihiro looked forward to the expression that the boy would give him when she offered the offering to him again today.

The warmth that she felt while holding the buns were surely not due to how warm the buns were but it came from her heart while remembering the things that have happened.

'You've changed, Chihiro... I think it's for the better... although I'm not sure on your taste and eye for men... you suck at that.'

Miyako commented while Chihiro nodded in agreement.

'Yeah, I have a _totally_ bad eye for guys in general... but trial and error isn't that bad of a thing... I guess all I needed was some conviction and belief.'

'T-That's surprisingly deep, Chihiro... have you been thinking about that?'

Teasing her again, Miyako was rendered speechless as Chihiro shook her head and just smiled back at her in reply. It was then that Miyako realized that Chihiro was in her own way, much more than she seemed in the outside.

As if transcending her mortal frame and looks, she was someone who was dazzling in her own way.

'Not really, I... just know that.'

..

'Good afternoon.'

Ringing the bell as she stepped into Cafe Grampa, Kujyo Tsukiyo smiled wordlessly at Katsuragi Mari as she made her way to guide her to her usual booth at the corner of the cafe.

'Good afternoon Tsukiyo-chan~ I'll get the usual for you and I made something special for you today too! Please wait a minute.'

Smiling and nodding at her, Tsukiyo seated herself while adjusting the cushion and the curtains beside her. This was a booth that was reserved specially for her ever since she had taken it to come down every afternoon for a pot of tea in Cafe Grampa.

The atmosphere, the setting, the people and the memories she had of this place were all beautiful and what's more it provided her with an excellent vantage point to see who was coming into the cafe.

Despite being hit on in several occasions, Tsukiyo had reasoned that overall, the experience here was much better than she could have had in school.

'Here you go, Tsukiyo-chan~ how bout you try it? A mango meringue just for you~ I coloured it so that it matches your hair, Tsukiyo-chan~ I won't disturb you further but you _must_ tell me how it tasted, okay?'

Taking her leave as Mari knew that Tsukiyo liked to be alone, Mari had became accustomed to Tsukiyo's odd behaviour, mannerism and habits by now and she had even set aside a small plate and cutleries for Luna as well.

'… It is a beautiful thing...'

Studying the dessert, Tsukiyo felt her stomach rumble in anticipation of the treat but she held herself in check after pouring a cup of tea for herself.

'Be patient, Luna... our guest is arriving after all.'

Yes, one of the main reasons for her being here was to meet with a certain someone, someone who had shown her something beautiful every day, regardless of what he was doing or what he brought.

'… Another beautiful thing to add to my collection.

Tsukiyo mumbled while seeing the familiar person walk up to the front gate even as a small smile graced her features.

..

'That's a great job today, Minami! A new personal record!'

Hitting her on her back as they headed off, Minami's fellow swimming team members bid their goodbyes while she was still changing and she smiled to herself while clutching her swimsuit in another hand.

It was perhaps time to switch another swimsuit but unlike the last time, she would buy a new one... this one had so many memories in it and it would be a lie if Minami said that she wouldn't miss it.

'Minami-chan, are you going back now?'

As she finished changing, she bumped into some of her seniors in the High School swimming team and she nodded to them in reply.

'Mm~ I'm done practising for today.'

'You're so hard-working, Minami-chan , we should learn more from you, huh?'

As she was fond of going to the High-School section to speak with Kasuga-sempai, Minami had caught the eye of the high-school swimming team members and occasionally they would practise together if their schedules met up.

It was odd but Minami felt more free and happy with her seniors than with her other friends, who had skipped practise in their pursuit for boys.

As they left school, Minami smiled while trying to brush her hair as her seniors discussed and gossiped all about the goings on in school.

'Do you know that Kasuga-san is indebted to the _Otamegane, _that was a surprise! I always thought that Kasuga-sempai was almighty but there are things that she wasn't good at after all.'

It wasn't a jibe at Kasuga Kusonoki but they were all curious about the article that had been recently published and despite herself, Minami found herself in the centre of the spotlight as they asked Minami if they knew anything about it.

'Minami-chan, you're close to Kasuga-san right? What could the _Otamegane_ has done to earn her favour, huh? Do you know?'

'… it's Katsuragi-sempai... desu ka? He's a very remarkable person.'

Her words seemed to shock her seniors but Minami didn't even seem to mind them questioning her as she just smiled even brighter while looking back at the swimming compound.

'You might not believe me... but to me and Kasuga-sempai, Katsuragi-sempai is someone who helped us through... many things.'

..

'So are you going out with him at all, Yoshino?'

Being badgered by another boy who wanted to confess to her, Yoshino Asami shook her head after rejecting him once again.

'But then why not? Why can't you go out with me?'

It had been surprising to note that the number of confessions that she had received over the past few weeks were double the amount she would have in an entire year and she wondered if the boys were finally getting a little panicking after she showed so much courage to get closer to her crush.

'… as I have someone that I like.'

Asami answered softly but firmly and she bowed to him before excusing herself.

'He doesn't even like you!'

His words together with how he grabbed her shoulder made her wince in pain but unlike previous attempts, Yoshino Asami slowly pried his hands away from her shoulder and calmly stated that even if he doesn't, it won't change her feelings.

'I... like Keima-san. That is all that is and I won't go out with you, I'm sorry.'

It was a display of courage and confidence that finally made the boy give up and she went on her way back to class where she would try to catch her crush's attention again.

It was not that she had not read the article that had been published about him and Kusonoki sempai but that doesn't mean that she should stop trying, especially since she was the first recorded case of a girl that liked him.

'I hope that he... will like lunch.'

Yoshino Asami smiled to herself as her footsteps got more urgent as she knew that competition for him had heated up thanks to the article that had been published. By adding such confusing stories into the mix, the legend and stories about the _Otamegane_ was surely changing and for the better.

Besides the boys confessing to her, Asami knew that she had gotten a little... more used to crowds as she was able to stand up for him after a group of boys asked her to stop hanging around him.

'… I won't... as that was what I promised myself.'

..

'So it all ends like this.'

Fuse Aoba, the **Mai-Hime** looked at her cup of coffee before nodding in amusement at how simple and complex it has been.

'Hiding away in plain sight... huh? That is... definitely something that I would never have thought that he'll have the courage to do so.'

Looking thoughtful as she swirled the cup of coffee that she was holding, Aoba commented to her guest while she leaned back against her chair while musing aloud.

'Till the end, he has decided to keep the rule of a protagonist as well as keeping her own stand unique as an observer and passer-by. Well I do not think that is a bad thing, nor is it a good thing as it _is _ making us wait for an answer in his own schedule. That said, as heroines, we can only wait, believe and pray. Pray that the protagonist would eventually come and give us the answer that we desperately needed.

Truly a masterful technique, even if I do think that your life would be more difficult from now on. Once a protagonist, always a protagonist and the number of encounters, scenes and events would increase steeply once the **world **declares you as such. It all depends on whether the **real** works in the same way.'

It was enough though as it served the grant the girl their wishes for an eventual answer while keeping his hold on the **world** and it was certainly something that she didn't think of.

'Till the end, I am no match for you, **Capturing God**... you are truly a **God** and a **Devil** together... not to mention.'

Fuse Aoba smiled she looked at the company that she was having coffee, a certain flat-chested demon girl as she shook her head in annoyance.

'A human...'

..

* * *

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..

'Kami-Onii-sama~ Wait for me!'

Running after him as he continued to play on his PFP, Katsuragi Elsi smiled happily as she latched onto his arm to keep him from running away.

'Get off me... you're slowing me down.'

'Ehh~ that's not what you told Asami-chan though~'

'That's a different issue... you're my sister, not the girl-next-door.'

'Ehh~ Discrimination, uu uu~~'

Life goes on like how it does as life finds a way. No, in this case, the **God **found a way to coexist with the girls. The girls that he had acknowledged and not recognize, leaving them to continue holding their crush on him in public as well as in private.

This is, the world that only the girls know!

* * *

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**Author's Notes: With that, that's the end of The World Only the Girl's Know: Blue Rose Paradox~ Looking back it has came from a secret project born out of the hilarious scene with Haqua and Aoba to this 11 chapter long story that you see here.**

**Perhaps you are disappointed by the ending, perhaps you are not, so please drop a review to tell me what you truly felt about the end of this particular story while doing my new poll too!~  
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**Once again, thank you to _dongaro, Kaiser Dude, Wolf's Honor_ and my followers, especially my reviewers, who had stuck by me till the end of this spin-off.  
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**The sequel of this story would be published together with this chapter and so if you don't mind, please do check it out!  
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**Till the next time we meet!  
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